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''AD'' is an ''average die'', whose faces are numbered 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5.
If you don't own one, use a [[D6]] where you will consider 1 as 3 and 6 as 4.

''Army points'' are used to [[budget]] the [[armies|army]].

;Ax
:Auxillia

; BUA
: ~Built-Up Area
A BUA that is a model for a hamlet or a big farm is treated as RGo and must be a ''small'' [[area feature]].
Any other BUA is DGo and must be a ''medium'' or ''large'' [[area feature]].

;Bd
:Blade

; Bg
: Baggages
They are all [[irregular|regular]] and (O). They are all immobile.
Baggages have no ZoC but they are always considered as being contacted to their front (even if contacted by several foes) and can never be overlapped either.

;Bw
:Bow
These include troops equipped with either bows or crossbows.

The ~C-in-C is the ~Commander-in-Chief of the army, the one who has a plan and put it into action (hopefully).
And you, as a player, are ~C-in-C of your [[army]].
On the table, the ~C-in-C is represented by a [[base]] figuring men of his guard or his household, with some particularities covered by the rules. The ~C-in-C is determined by the official [[army list]]. Some army lists offer a choice of ~C-in-C.

;Cm
:Camels
Camels used as scouts or skirmishers are classified as [[LH]](X).

;Cv
:Cavalry

;D
:Dunes
Dunes have neither top nor slope.

''D6'' is is the common 6 faces die, with numbers or spots from 1 to 6. Spotted dice are best used as they roll better because of their rounded corners. You can use a dice cup or a dice tower.

Typing @@make EPUB@@ is also a possibility to just get the epub out of the tiddlywiki. This avoid the translation to pdf, which is a slow process.
If you want to indicate French as a language you can type either of:
* @@make EPUB LANGUAGE=fr@@
* @@make LANGUAGE=fr EPUB@@

; ~GGo
: Good going
This is the major kind of terrain on any battlefield.
Is ~GGo for every [[troop type]]: [[H(G)]] and any battlefield area not covered by terrain feature.
[[Cm]] and [[LH]](X) count [[D]] as ~GGo.
!! sequential reading
# [[H(G)]]

To get started with this blank ~TiddlyWiki, you'll need to modify the following tiddlers:
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* [[DefaultTiddlers]]: Contains the names of the tiddlers that you want to appear when the ~TiddlyWiki is opened
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;H(G)
: Gentle Hill
: bare hill with gentle slopes.

;H(S)
:Steep Hill
They are a mixed bag of possibilities:
* bare hill with all slopes as steep, counting as DGo;
* wholly covered by either [[V]] or [[Wd]], and counting as DGo;
* wholly covered either by brushes or rocky areas with all slopes as either gentle (counting as RGo) or steep (counting as DGo).
The eventual cover of a hill can only be selected if the terrain feature of the cover is available in the [[army list]] of the invaded player.

;~HCh
:Heavy chariot;
:in DBM or DBMM speak, these are chariots Kn.

;Hd
:Horde

;~LCh
:Light chariot;
:in DBM or DBMM speak, these are chariots Cv.

;LH
:Light Horse
These include all kinds of scouts. They also include camel based ones, which are classified as (X) instead of (I).
;LH(X)
:Camel based scouts or skirmishers. They consider [[terrain]] as [[Cm]] do. They fight as (I) except against LH(X) and Cm that they fight as (O).

; La
: [[lake|lake and waterway]] (big!)

A ''M''ove ''U''nit is worth 3/4 of of a [[base]] width. This represents about 75m in real life and 3cm on the table for 15mm [[scale]].

;PIG
: ''P''oint of ''I''nitiative and ''G''eneralship
The ~PIGs are earned by the throw of a die:
* an [[AD]] if the C-in-C is [[regular]];
* a [[D6]] otherwise.
~PIGs are expended to do actions with one or several [[bases|base]]:
* [[voluntary move]];
* [[halt]].
The ~PIGs costs are described in the [[PIGs expense list]].
!!sequential reading
# [[halt]]
# [[PIGs expense list]]

All the [[PIG]] costs are cumulative. There is a one PIG rebate for the first order given by the C-in-C which apply to its self [[base]] or to a [[group]] or [[pack]] to which it belongs.
!! one PIG
* to give an order to a [[sub-group|group]].
* to order a [[voluntary move]] to single [[base]] or to a [[group]].
* to [[halt]] a single [[base]] or a [[group]].
* to [[halt]] a single [[base]] of Irr status unless [[infantry]] entirely in RGo or DGo.
* to [[halt]] a [[group]] comprising at least one [[base]] of Irr status unless all the Irr bases are [[infantry]] entirely in RGo or DGo.
* to perform a move other than [[moving straight forward]] at full [[move distance]] to an Irr [[base]] other than [[Ps]], [[Ax]], [[LH]], [[Cv]] if the move does not finish at the contact of an enemy base in a position of either [[close combat]], [[support]] or [[overlap]].
* to perform a move other than [[moving straight forward]] at full [[move distance]] to a [[group]] with at least an Irr [[base]] other than [[Ps]], [[Ax]], [[LH]], [[Cv]], if the move does not finish at the contact of an enemy base in a position of either [[close combat]], [[support]] or [[overlap]].
* for each [[far move]] of a [[group]] from the fourth on.
* for the third [[far move]] of a single [[base]] of Irr status except if it is [[Ps]] or [[LH]].
* for the third [[far move]] of a [[group]] if it include any [[base]] of Irr status other than [[Ps]] or [[LH]].
* to give an order if the C-in-C:
** is in [[ambush]].
** is not in ambush but is not visible by the subject of the order and is beyond 5[[MU]] of it.
** is visible by the subject of the order but is beyond 10[[MU]] of it and the subject of the ~PIGs expense list order is not entirely [[LH]].
** is visible by the subject of the order but is beyond 20[[MU]] of it and the subject of the order is entirely [[LH]].
!! two ~PIGs
* to command a [[pack]] to go full speed ahead.
!! four ~PIGs
* for ordering a [[pack]] into a group.

;Pk
:Pike
Pk(F) are shieldless or mostly shieldless troops that are quite effective in rough or bad going but are unable to fight in as deep formation as other pikes do.

''~PoC'' are ''P''oints ''o''f ''C''onfidence used to measure the [[army moral]].
Every [[base]] has a ~PoC value as noted in the following scale:
* 16 for the [[Bg]];
* 16 for the C-in-C (whatever kind of [[troop type]] it is);
* 8 for [[Cv]](S), LCh(S), HCh, [[Bw]], [[Pk]], [[Sp]], [[Wb]];
* 4 for [[Cv]](I/O), LCh(I/O), [[Cm]], [[LH]](O/F), [[Ax]], [[Bd]],
* 2 for [[LH]](I/X), [[Hd]], [[Ps]].
Note: this scale takes into account that Bw, Pk, Sp and Wb represent twice as many men as Bd or Ax.
The [[Bg]] ~PoC are not added to the moral of the army but their value is deduced of it if they are [[destroyed]]. This is a major reason to protect them!

;Ps
:Psiloi

;~RGo
:Rough going
RGo are brushes, rocky terrain, marshy areas and also some [[BUA]]s.
There is a special case for [[Cm]] and [[LH]](X): see DGo.

; Rv
: [[river]]

Wargaming ruleset for the heroic chariotry era

Blood and Blades

;Sp
:Spear

Why change the title of immediate tiddler? It is never seen and if it is good as a label in the link, it will be good as a title.

'':note'', '':tip'', '':caution'', '':important'', '':warning'' and '':footnote'' are also called //''immediate tiddlers''// because in the ebook and pdf, their contents is immediately written in the place of the link calling them. Their titles are not printed, but instead there is a title of their kind (note, warning, etc.). ''This title is written in the locale of the system, so beware!''
On the other end, the title of these tiddlers is she only things that you can see in the tiddlywiki. A best practice is to have a title that is summarizing the content of the immediate tiddler and which begins by its kind. For instance you can have ''Tip:&nbsp;most&nbsp;useful&nbsp;keyboard&nbsp;shortcuts'' if your wiki is about a desktop application.
Immediate tiddlers must not have any tag beside the tag that is defining their kind. Thus, the only tag for any //tip// is '':tip'' for instance.

;V
:Vines

; WW
: [[waterway|lake and waterway]]

Never use footnote inside a wiki list! It would prevent translating the wiki to docbook and thus disallow ebook or pdf outputs. This is yet a minor problem in our opinions.

''Of course, the material below is not under license CC BY SA. It is derived from copyrighted work, as a derivation of short citations.''

;Wb
:Warband

;Wd
:Woods

; ~ZoC
: abbreviation for ''zone of control''
Every [[base]] except base of [[Bg]] exerts a ''zone of control'' in front of itself. This is a square as wide as the base and just ahead of the base. [[fig:zoc: zoc]]
Any base which is within the ~ZoC of an enemy base is ''//zocced//''.
An enemy ~ZoC is not interrupted by friendly troops, but is by an intervening enemy [[base]] (but the latter have its own ~ZoC). [[fig:zoc: zocced]].
Within an enemy ~ZoC, one [[base]] can only:
* make an [[impetuous move]] if it follows the other restrictions written below;
* make a [[halt]];
* [[move straight backward|moving straight forward]];
* get into [[close combat]] against an enemy base. If possible, this enemy base must be one that is zoccing it. If there is a choice between several moves, the move to be done is that which is firstly the most straightforward and secondly the shortest. [[fig:zoc: from zoc to close combat]].
If no move can be made because some friendly troops are preventing it, then if two simultaneous moves would solve the conundrum, they shall be done, if enough [[PIGs|PIG]] are available. This can be extended to three simultaneous moves. Each of these simultaneous moves is evaluated and done as if the other bases that must take part into them were not on table. [[fig:zoc:getting out of zoc simultaneously]].

Each army has an ''aggression factor'' listed on its [[army list]] (and, conveniently, on its [[order of battle]]). It is expressing how much the historical armies were ordered to invade neighbors (the higher the factor, the most aggressive they were). It is a number between 0 and 4.

; to align oneself
: We say that a [[base]] //A// ''align itself with enemy base'' //Z// when the front of //A// is in linear contact with the side of //Z// it is touching ''and'' one of its front corner at least is in contact with a corner of //Z//. If it is not otherwise meant, the side of //Z// which is involved is its front.

Any troops except [[Bg]] may ''ambush''.
|ambushes|c
|ambush site|visibility from outside|allowed troops|h
|within a [[BUA]]| 80| any |
|within a [[Wd]]| 80| any |
|within an [[O]]| 240| any |
|within [[D]]| 160| any |
|within brush ([[RGo]])| 240| [[Ps]] |
|within a gully ([[RGo]])| edge of the gully| any |
|behind [[Wd]] or hills or hill crests| line of sight| any |
All the [[bases|base]] of an ambush must belong to the same [[group]]. Only one ambush is allowed. The C-in-C may take place to an ambush.
An ambush must be precisely recorded (see [[setup]] to see when this is done and see [[fig:ambush: ambush within a wood]] for how to do it).
A few other examples :
* [[fig:ambush: ambush within a gully]]
* [[fig:ambush: ambush behind hill]]
* [[fig:ambush: ambush on a hill behind crest]]
Troops in ambush are immediately revealed and placed on table if they [[move]] or [[shoot|shooting]] or are being otherwise seen (only those actually seen need to be placed but, for simplicity's sake, the whole ambush may be revealed at once).

Each army is made of [[bases|base]] on which are glued several figurines. This ruleset follows the ways of DBM in this regard. You can now have a look at the [[graphical conventions|figs:conventions]] used in the [[figures]].

An ''area feature'' is a piece of terrain which is not rectilinear, that is everything but [[roads|road]] and [[rivers|river]]. They come in different [[sizes|area features sizes]].

For any [[area feature]]:
* ''small'' means a length between 3 and 5[[MU]] and a width at least 3[[MU]];
* ''medium'' means a length between 5 and 8[[MU]] and a width at least 4[[MU]];
* ''large'' means a length between 8 and 12[[MU]] and a width at least 6[[MU]];
* the maximum length is excluded but the minimum length is included. Thus and for instance, the minimum length of a small piece of terrain is 3[[MU]] and its maximum length is strictly less than 5[[MU]];
* obviously, length is longer than width!

Each player plays his own army. He is the C-in-C of his army, which he has computed within a [[budget]] from its [[army list]] given in the DBM or DBMM army list book 1. That precise army is described in an [[order of battle]].
!!sequential reading
* [[an army made of figurines]]
* C-in-C
* [[budget]]
* [[army list]]
* [[order of battle]]
* [[aggression factor]]
* [[base]]

An ''army list'' is a listing of all available options for a given set of armies. They also indicate other data like the [[aggression factor]] and the kind of [[terrain]] available when invaded.
They are found in either DBM or DBMM army lists book 1.
!! translation
Both DBM and DBMM lists must be converted for use.
Translate some troop types:
* Kn chariots becomes ~HCh,
* Cv chariots become ~LCh,
* camels LH(I) becomes LH(X),
* DBM Ax(X) become Pk(F),
* Cm(X) are not used,
* all mounted scouts must be LH(I) or LH(X).
Now get rid of any general but the C-in-C. Ignore any ally contingent.
Change the [[AP]] costs according to the [[budget]].
The numbers at //Blood and Blades// are half those of DBM or DBMM (to get smaller armies and speed up games as well). So you first have to halve all numbers except those of Bw, Pk, Sp and Wb, that you will divide by four instead (this is because those are now computed as if two standard DBM bases within a single base, to reflect their most common use and avoid too profound units).
All the numbers are rounded up except special cases. These cases arise when upgrading or downgrading to a type troops which has not the same ratio relative to original numbers. This will be illustrated by army list 1.1 Early Sumerian in Kish after 2500BC:
# The household and militia archers are Bw from 36 to 96 [[bases|base]] in the DBMM list;
# This translate to a quarter in ~BaB: 9 to 24 Bw;
# They are all upgraded to Pk. This is straightforward because both Bw and Pk (and Sp and Wb) have the same ratio of 1/4 when all other troop types have a ratio of 1/2, so it is 9 to 24 Pk;
# Yet the DBMM list allow a further upgrade to Bd for 4 to 9 Pk. This is a delicate upgrade, because Bd have a ratio of 1/2 when Pk have a ratio of 1/4. So you create 2 Bd when you upgrade 1 Pk.
# And you seem to be able to get 2 to 5 Bd (these numbers are deduced from the 4 to 9 of DBMM). But since you get these Bd in pairs, you would get 4 or 6 Bd, not 5. The half of 9 is 4.5 which cannot be rounded to 6. Thus, by exception, 4.5 will be rounded to 4 and you will get only 4 Bd maximum;
# After the transition of Bw to Pk, there is a new line in the DBMM list for 4 to 6 household and militia archers which can be Ps or Bw. This again is problematic because Ps have a 1/2 ratio and Bw a 1/4 ratio;
# First, you deduce from DBMM numbers that you can only have 2 to 3 Ps but apparently only 1 to 2 Bw;
# This means that you will count these men in equivalent Ps and account 2 Ps for every Bw;
# Since you cannot have more than 3 equivalent Ps, you can not have 2 BW, which are worth 4 equivalent Ps;
# So you have 2 to 3 Ps, 2 of which can be upgraded to 1 Bw;
# This mean you can have either 2Ps or 3 Ps or 1 Bw or (1Bw and 1 Ps).
Compute your [[army]] and record in your [[order of battle]] complete with every options.
!! translation samples
These are given only to show you how to proceed. These lists have been selected for two reasons:
* they show you how the translation of some not so obvious options if you have the DBM army list volume 1 book;
* they give an idea of //Blood and Blades// lists which are rather popular among players.
In order to avoid copyright infringement, they are just excerpts from the official DBM lists:
* they just cover a small time frame of their timespan;
* they do not indicate [[aggression factor]];
* they do not lists available [[terrain]] features;
* they lack any historical background and especially the rules relatives to the asterisks markers that some have.
[[Warning: copyrighted work!]]
!!! 1.1 Early Sumerian 3000 BC - 2234 BC and c. 2250 BC
only Kish after 2500 BC
* ~C-in-C Reg Bd(F) or in 4-wheeled battle car Reg ~HCh(I) or straddle-car Reg ~LCh(I) or on foot Reg Pk(I) or Reg Pk(X): 1
* Household Spearmen Reg Pk(I) or Reg Pk(X): 9 - 24
* Archers levy skirmishers Irr Ps(O): 0 - 6
* Javelinmen levy skirmishers Irr Ps(I): 2 - 6
* Slingers levy skirmishers Irr Ps(O): 2 - 12
* 4-wheeled battle car Reg ~HCh(I): 2 - 4
* Straddle car Reg ~LCh(I): 0 - 1
* Scout riding equids Irr LH(I): 0 - 1
* Re-arm household spearmen as axemen Reg Bd(F): 2 - 5
* Household and militia archers Reg Ps(O): 2 - 3
* Upgrade household and militia archers 2 Ps to 1 Reg Bw (I): any
Notice that in the DBMM&nbsp;list, only half of Pk(I) can be upgraded to Pk(I) and that this distinction has disappeared here. This is because a ~BaB Pk(X) is in fact like a DBMM Pk(X) with a Pk(I). This explains that ~BaB Pk(X) cannot support Pk(X) but only Pk(I). With such a model, if all our Pk are X then we get exactly the DBMM maximum ratio of 1 Pk(X) for 1 Pk(I).
!!! 1.6 Early Bedouin 3000 BC to 312 BC
only from 1500 BC to 1000 BC
* ~C-in-C Irr Ax(O5 or Irr Wb(F) or Irr Cm(O): 1
* Javelinmen Irr Ax(I) or Irr Ax(O) (half - all): 20 - 75
* Skirmishers Irr Ps(I): 2 - 20. upgrade 0-2 to Irr Ps (S)
* Slingers Irr Ps (O): 2 -10
* Archers Irr Ps (O): 2 - 10.
* Upgrade any 2 Ps Archers to 1 Irr Bw(I): any
* Upgrade Irr Bw (I) to Irr Bw (O): any
* Retainers Irr Wb (F): 0-2
!!! 1.7 Early Lybian 3000 BC to 70 AD
only from 1250 BC to 1209 BC
* ~C-in-C Irr ~LCh (O): 1
* Bodyguard Irr Wb (F): 0-1
* Javelinmen Irr Ps (I) or Irr Ax (I): 54 - 210
* Archers Irr Ps (O): 0 - 10
* 2-horse chariots Irr ~LCh (O): 1 - 3
* Replace Javelinmen with Swordmen Irr Wb (F): 0 - 1/3 (2 javelinmen for 1 swordmen)
* Replace Javelinmen with Archers Irr Ps (O): 0 - 1/3.
* Upgrade 2 Archers Ps (ex Javelinmen only) as 1 Irr Bw (I): any
* Upgrade Irr Bw (I) with swords to Irr Bw (O): 0 - 1/3
!!! 1.45 ~Neo-Assyrian Empire 745 BC - 681 BC
only from 719 BC to 705 BC
* ~C-in-C in 4-horse, 3-crew chariot Reg ~HCh(O): 1
* Chariots 4-horse, 3-crew Reg ~HCh(O): 3 - 7
* Elite cavalry Reg Cv(O): 1
* Other cavalry Reg Cv(O): 2 - 5
* Mounted scouts Reg LH(I): 1
* Arab levies Irr Cm(O) or Irr LH(I): 0 - 2
* Kallapani, half Reg mtd Ax(S), half supporting Reg mtd Ps(O): 2
* Footguards Reg Bd(F) or Reg Ax(O): 0 - 2
* Footguard archers (support footguards) Reg Ps(O): 0 - 1
* Infantry of the battle array, half Reg Ax(O), half supporting Reg Ps(O): 4 - 6
* Upgrade above Ax(O) to elite units Reg Ax(S): 0 - 2
* King's man infantry of the battle-array Irr Ax(O), half supporting Reg mtd Ps(O): 4 - 8
* Reserves of the battle array, half Reg Ax(I), half supporting Reg Ps(O), or any/all of either type: *4 - 6
* Levied troops of the battle array Irr Hd(O): **10-25
* King's man tribal levy with bow or sling Irr Ps(O): 2 - 10
* King's man tribal levy with javelin and shield Irr Ps(S): 0 - 2
* Elamaya, Elamite regiment Reg Bw(I): 0 - 2

At the beginning of the battle, an [[army]] is at its maximum PoC score, that we call its ''reference moral level'' and which is written on its [[order of battle]]. It is computed by adding the PoC of every [[base]] in the army .
The ''routing level'' is a third of the reference moral level without rounding, and it is also written on the [[order of battle]].
At the end of each [[bound]], each army losses are taken into account and a new ''losses moral level'' is computed and checked against the routing level. An army is routed if its losses moral moral is equal to or greater than its routing level.
Losses are accounted thusly:
* for each [[base]] being [[destroyed]], add its full PoC value;
* for each [[base]] being [[spent]], add half its PoC value.
For instance if an army reference moral level is 124, its routing level is 41.333 and it is routed as soon as its losses moral level reaches 42.

A ''base'' is a stand on which figurines are put. Its dimensions and the number of figurines are the same as for DBM or DBMM. See below.
|Number of figurines per base|c
|Troop types|Figurines|
|[[El]], HCh, LCh|1 |
|[[LH]], [[Ps]]|2 |
|Irr [[Ax]], [[Bd]](F), Irr [[Bw]], [[Cm]], [[Cv]], Irr [[Pk]](F), [[Wb]](F)|3 |
|Reg [[Ax]], [[Bd]](O/I), Reg [[Bw]], [[Pk]](I/X), Reg [[Pk]](F), [[Sp]], [[Wb]](S/O)|4 |
|Irr [[Hd]](O)|5 to 8, rather 8 |
|[[Hd]](S/I/F)|5 to 8, rather 5 or 6|
|[[Bg]]|It's up to the model(s).|
|Width of a base for 15mm figurine scale|c
|Troop types|Width|Base kind|h
|[[Bg]], [[El]], HCh, LCh| 40 |very deep|
|[[Cm]], [[Cv]], [[LH]], [[Hd]]| 30 |deep|
|[[Ax]], [[Bd]](F), [[Bw]], [[Pk]](F), [[Ps]],[[Wb]](F)| 20 |shallow|
|[[Bd]](O/I), [[Pk]](I/X), [[Sp]], [[Wb]](S/O)| 15 |very shallow|
Bases have a width of 40mm in 15mm [[scale]]. Other [[scales|scale]] have different base depths.
A base might have 3 instead of the required 4 figurines if those are too bulky to fit by 4. It can also have 3 in case the Reg or Irr version differ and you wish to make both options available in your army (this allowance is relevant if your army list offers to field the Reg and Irr versions, or if the same troops are available either as Reg or Irr in two different army list).
A base might be a little deeper than prescribed if the models it carries are too long for the official depth.
A synonym for base is stand.
A stand has a front, a rear, a left flank and a right flank.
The ''front'' of a base includes its ''front border'' and its two ''front corners''. And its front border does not include any corner. The same is true for the ''rear'' and both ''flanks'' and also for any ''sides''.

A player's ''bound'' is the period of the [[round]] where this player is the ''active player''. At the next bound, his opponent will be the active player, and so on.
For each bound, the following steps must be done, in that order:
# throw die for [[weather]];
# check for [[time of day]] conditions (eventual end of the battle as a [[draw]] here);
# [[PIGs|PIG]] scoring;
# the [[voluntary moves|voluntary move]] phase with the expenditure of [[PIGs|PIG]];
# the [[impetuous move]] phase;
# the [[shooting]] phase;
# the [[close combat]] phase;
# [[moral]] checkup (PoC computation) to see whether and how the battle is finished.

A ''close combat'' occurs when one [[base]] //A// is in [[frontal contact]] with an enemy base //Z//. Base //A// is in close combat with base //Z// and symmetrically base //Z// is also in close combat with base //A//, even if //Z// is not in [[frontal contact]] with //A//.
The computations for managing a close combat are exposed in [[resolving a combat]].
!! sequential reading
# [[frontal contact]]
# [[defending a river edge]]
# [[fighting from upper ground]]
# [[overlap]]
# [[flank attack]]
# [[rear attack]]

If your second total score is less than that of your opponent, add one to this score if you are in [[group]] with in front-corner-to-front-corner contact on ''both'' your left and your right edge with either :
* the C-in-C;
* a [[base]] which is strictly identical to you.
[[fig:close combat: cohesion effect]]

A ''column'' is the [[group]] constituted by:
* a lead [[base]] called the head of the column,
* all the bases directly behind it and in [[group connection]] with it. As such, a column must be exactly one [[base]] wide over all its length. [[fig:column: straight column]].
The head of a column may [[pivot|pivoting]] as it wants any time it wants to. The bases behind it follow behind, in the old direction until they reach the point where the head of the column had pivoted, and follow in the new direction after. [[fig:column: bent column]]. Please notice that the column must henceforth be set on the table as a collection of rectilinear segments instead of looking like an undulating snake. [[fig:column: bent column in move]].
This leads to an extended definition for a column. A column is either:
* a column along the standard definition of a [[group]] (see first definition);
* such a column after it has ''moved'' and got one or several bending points (see second paragraph) which is called a ''bent column''.
It is forbidden to lay a bent column in [[ambush]] or while deploying the army. This mean that a column may be bent only as a result of a [[voluntary move]].
All the [[bases|base]] in a column are considered to be in the same [[group]] even if they have different [[directions|direction]]. They are, rules-wise, considered to have the same [[direction]] when one of them must [[recoil]].
Thus, the head of a bent column can [[recoil]]. [[fig:column: recoiling a bent column]]. And every [[base]] of a bent column can [[push back]] the base after it in the column, even if there are several bending points in the column.
!!sequential reading
# [[going into a column]]
# [[column extension]]

; column extension
: the group move of expanding from a [[column]] into a line
There are two ways to get from a [[column]] into a line. Each one is a [[group]] move for which there is a free distance bonus of 1[[MU]].
A [[column]] may get into line ''without moving its head'' thus:
# the head of the column must not move at all;
# the [[bases|base]] behind it can go to the right or to the left of the head of column, without going any further than it;
# each base must either come in line with the former head of the column or in column with it or a base that has already moved;
# if a base cannot join the previous base into a [[group]], the move must not include it and any base behind it (and so must be excluded from the group so commanded as far as [[PIGs|PIG]]s are concerned).
A [[column]] may get into line by ''pivoting its head'' thus:
# the head of the column must [[pivot|pivoting]] 90° to its right or to its left;
# the other [[bases|base]] must either move into line with it or into a column with it or with a base that has already taken part to the move;
# if a base cannot join the previous base into [[group connection]], the move must not include it and any base behind it (and so must be excluded from the group so commanded as far as [[PIGs|PIG]]s are concerned).
If a column is bent, it can only attempt an extension on the side of the bend. [[fig:column: bent column extension]].
While they are moving, bases involved in a column extension are not restricted by any [[gap]] involving at least one of the other bases of the column. [[fig:column: ignoring gap as extending column]].

;combat
:either [[close combat]] or [[shooting]].
The consequences of a combat are given in the [[combat outcome]] tables.
!!sequential reading
# [[combat advantage]]
# [[resolving a combat]]

In [[close combat]] and in [[shooting]], a ''combat advantage'' is a point added to your [[combat factor]] to help you win against your ([[main|main opponent]]) opponent. See [[tactical factors]] for their listing.
There are several kinds of combat advantages:
* those provided by [[terrain]] features;
* those provided by friendly [[bases|base]];
* those caused by the [[weather]];
* those provided by yourself.
A [[base]] engaged in [[close combat]] may help the [[main opponent]] of its own main opponent, which is most often itself but can also be an other friendly base. The corollary of this is that a base in [[close combat]] cannot help a friendly base whose main opponent is different.
!!sequential reading
# [[support]]

Each [[troop type]] has a combination of ''combat factors'' which is given in the grid below.
|combat factors for [[close combat]] and [[shooting]]|c
|Subject troop type|Against [[infantry]]|Against [[mounted]]|h
|[[El]]| 4 | 4 |
|HCh| 3 | 4 |
|LCh, [[Cv]]| 3 | 3 |
|[[Cm]]| 3 | 2 |
|[[LH]]| 2 | 2 |
|[[Bd]], [[Sp]]| 4 | 4 |
|[[Pk]]| 3 | 4 |
|[[Bw]]| 2 | 4 |
|[[Ax]], [[Wb]]| 3 | 2 |
|[[Ps]], [[Hd]]| 2 | 2 |
The factors for being shot at are the same as against [[infantry]] in close combat with the exception of HCh whose factor is 4. The shooting factor for [[Bw]] are the same as those for close combat.
See also [[tactical factors]] and [[resolving a combat]] for combat computations and then refer to the [[combat outcome]] tables.

In the following tables are recorded the outcomes of a [[combat]] between a [[base]] //A// and an enemy base //Z//. Nothing happens if //A// and //Z// score equal. We suppose that //Z// scores more than //A// and the tables refer to the consequence for //A//. The [[combat factor]] of //A// is cfA, its final score is fsA and that of //Z// is fsZ (see [[resolving a combat]] for calculation).
These tables are sorted by how many times there is cfA in the difference between fsZ and fsA.
Apply ''the first item'' that is compatible with the situation being examined.
After having applied the outcome found thereafter, the winning [[base]] may have to [[pursue|pursuit]] as an [[outcome move]].
Note: if //A// is a troop of [[Bw]] which is shooting without being shot at, it disregards any effect in the following tables.
!! equality
No effect!
!! small difference
|outcome table if fsA < fsZ < fsA + cfA|c
|Troop //A//|Consequences for troop //A//|h
|any|For any situation not explicitely stated below: [[recoil]]|
|[[Bg]]|[[destroyed]]|
|[[Hd]]|[[destroyed]] by [[El]], HCh and [[Wb]]. Otherwise no effect.|
|[[Bd]], [[Pk]], [[Sp]]|[[destroyed]] by [[El]], HCh and [[Wb]].|
|[[Bw]]|[[destroyed]] by [[mounted]] if in terrain these count as GGo.|
|[[Ax]]|[[destroyed]] by HCh.|
|[[Ps]]|[[destroyed]] by [[Cv]], LCh, [[LH]] and HCh in GGo. [[flee]] in GGo against any but [[Ps]] and [[El]].|
|[[El]]|[[destroyed]] by [[Ax]] and [[Ps]].|
|[[Cv]]|[[recoil]] against [[Cm]] in dunes. [[flee]] in [[close combat]] in DGo.|
|[[LH]]|[[recoil]] against [[Cm]] in dunes. [[flee]] in [[close combat]] in DGo. [[flee]] in GGo except against [[skirmishers]].|
|LCh|[[destroyed]] in [[close combat]] in DGo.|
|HCh|[[destroyed]] in [[close combat]] in DGo or against [[El]].|
!! big difference
|outcome table if fsA + cfA <= fsZ < fsA + 2 cfA|c
|Troop //A//|Consequences for troop //A//|h
|any|For any situation not explicitly stated below: [[destroyed]]|
|[[Ps]]|[[spent]] by [[heavy infantry]] except [[Bw]]. [[recoil]] against [[El]]. [[flee]] in DGo in [[close combat]] against [[mounted]].|
|[[Cv]], LCh|[[spent]] in GGo against [[Pk]] or [[Sp]].|
|[[LH]]|[[flee]] in [[close combat]] in DGo. [[spent]] in [[close combat]] against [[infantry]] except [[Bw]] and [[Ps]] armed with bows, crossbows or slings.|
!! very big difference
|outcome table if cfA + 2 cfA <= fsZ|c
|Troop //A//|Consequences for troop //A//|h
|any|For any situation not explicitly stated below: [[destroyed]]|
|[[Ps]]|[[flee]] against [[El]].|
!! sequential reading
# [[outcome move]]

!! table size
The [[table size]] is decided first.
!! terrain size and shape
Terrain must be irregular and soft shapes like potatoes, except for fields and [[BUA]] that may be rectilinear.
There are three sizes of terrain: small, medium and large. Linear terrain ([[road]] and [[river]]) count as medium, with the exception of large rivers which count as large. All other terrain is made of [[area features|area feature]] of different [[sizes|area features sizes]].
!! selecting terrain
A player may only chose up to one large terrain piece, up to two median terrain pieces and up to three small terrain pieces. The invaded player must select one or two pieces of each mandatory terrain (those in bold in the official army lists), and at least two pieces of overall mandatory terrain.
The invaded player may also chose up to two optional terrain pieces. The defender shows his pick of terrain pieces to the attacker. Then the attacker must select between one and three pieces of terrain, only one of which may be of mandatory terrain.
!! laying terrain
The mandatory terrain pieces must be placed first. The invaded player first places all of choice of them, then the attacker if he has any. Then the invading player places all his remaining terrain pieces, followed by the invaded player.
If mandatory, a [[WW]] or a [[La]] must be placed first. It must be set against a small table side (on your right or on your left if the table is square). It should extend from 1[[MU]] to 3[[MU]] of the table edge, and be rectilinear or with a gently curving shore.
An eventual [[Rv]] must join each player's baseline or, if a [[WW]] has been set, flows from the opposite side of this WW to this WW. The river shall flow in a band which is parallel to each side it is not connected. The player laying the [[Rv]] selects one of these two sides. Now he throws 2 [[D6]]. Speaking in [[MU]], the band will be distant from the selected side by the lowest of these scores and be as large as their difference.
A [[road]] must join two opposites table edges, or else a previously set road and a table border without any road. A road cannot finish in a [[WW]] but it can link to a [[BUA]] touching a [[WW]]. A table side cannot be connected by more than one road. The terrain on each side of the road shall be the same for as much as possible, but a road may be set upon any area features. A [[road]] may cross any [[Rv]] only once. It is otherwise freely laid.
Area features cannot be set nearer than a [[base]] width to any table edge or any other area features: Area features cannot be set on other area features, even partially, with only two exceptions:
* a hill may get laid onto a [[La]] or a [[WW]], as a promontory or as an island:
* a [[BUA]] may be totally or partially set onto any hill.
An island must be at least one [[base]] width away from the shore. A promontory must be connected to the main land at least by a [[base]] width.
To place an area feature, a player successively:
# selects a table side as his preferred, which is attributed marks 1, 2 and 3;
# attributes marks 4, 5 and 6 to the other table sides in a clockwise manner, beginning with that on the left of the preferred side;
# throws a [[D6]]. The area feature to be laid must be nearer of the table side whose mark matches the die score than any other side. If a table side is covered by a [[WW]] or a [[La]], one must take the shore line into account instead of the table border.
If a piece of terrain cannot be placed, it is discarded even if mandatory.

Just before the very first roll of dice for [[PIGs|PIG]] in the first [[bound]] of the first [[round]], the active player throws an [[AD]] to determine where the sun will be if and when there will be dazzle:
* 2: in the table border of the invaded player,
* 3: in the table border on the left of the invaded player,
* 4: in the table border on the right of the invaded player,
* 5: in the table border of the invading player.
If there is a risk of dazzle, in each [[bound]] with risk of dazzle, and just before rolling dice for [[PIGs|PIG]], the active players throws a [[D6]] to check for it. If he scores 1 or 6, there is dazzle for this bound.
When there is dazzle, a base in [[close combat]] or a[[Bw]] which is [[shooting]] is ''victim of dazzle'' if it facing the sun plus or minus 45°. This is a [[combat advantage]] for its opponents.
* [[fig:close combat: fighting with dazzle]]
* [[fig:shooting: shooting with dazzle]]

In a [[close combat]], a [[base]] //A// is ''defending a river edge'' against enemy base //Z// if the three following conditions are all met:
# //A// is in [[close combat]] with //Z// by its own front edge or one of its own front corners;
# //Z// is currently a wader;
# //A// is away from the river side by less than its own base depth.
[[fig:terrain: defending a river edge]].
A river edge cannot be defended at a bridge or at a [[road]] ford.

''Destroyed'' [[bases|base]] are removed from the table. This represent that they got enough killed and wounded to have any will of warfare dissipated. To sum up, they are totally out of action and have fled or been caught and slaughtered later on.
It is good behavior to have the destroyed troops clearly differentiable from the [[spent]] troops. We suggest the following convention: if the troops out of table are kept along a long (or the small) border of the table, the ''destroyed'' troops are looking outwards and the ''spent'' ones are looking inwards, to the opposite [[direction]] (toward the table center).

In this ruleset, //direction// is meant with the common meaning everyone shares.
Thus, in a [[group]], all the troops are facing in the same ''direction'' (there is a special case of group which is a bent [[column]] though).

A draw occur when either:
* both armies are routed;
* it is [[night]];
* players run out of time and neither is [[victorious|victory]].

Dusk is the period between day and [[night]].
In the two [[rounds|round]] before dusk there is a risk of [[dazzle]].
While in dusk, there can't be any [[dazzle]] but the visibility is reduced to 8[[MU]].

We call ''engagement'' the action of getting into contact with an enemy [[base]] so that a [[close combat]] occurs.
Once in [[frontal contact]] with an enemy base, a [[base]] does ''not'' need to [[align]] itself with the enemy but it ''can'' provided that:
# it was either a single base move or a [[group]] move;
# it was one's front edge that contacted the enemy base front;
# there is no obstacles which prevents to shift to the right or to the left until the front corners of both bases meet;
# the shift will be done in the direction of the shortest move;
# by so doing you do not cease contact with an enemy [[base]] you were initially engaged with;
# by so doing no any other enemy base is engaged;
# if it was a [[group]] move, all the bases of the group must shift identically;
# not a single base may get out of the battlefield, even partially (yet one may get into a position where it cannot recoil).
[[fig:alignment: impossible alignment]].
An isolated [[base]] contacted on its front edge by an enemy base participating in a [[group]] move, must conform to this group if there is no obstacle to that conformation. [[fig:alignment: group contacting an isolated base]].
A base within a [[group]] entirely composed of [[skirmishers]], if contacted on its front edge by the front of two enemy bases participating in a [[group]] move, must conform to that group if there is no obstacle to this conformation, even if that group is composed entirely of skirmishers. [[fig:alignment: group contacting a group of skirmishers]]. Yet, if the moving group is also composed entirely of skirmishers, the conformation of the enemy is not done if either apply:
* it is a group containing at least a [[Ps]] which is contacting a group composed only of [[LH]];
* the contacting group has a front with fewer bases than the front of the contacted group;
* the contacting group has less bases than the contacted group.
[[fig:alignment: contact between skirmishers groups]]
If it is not yet aligned, a base contacted on its front border by the front border of two enemy bases align itself with the enemy base with which it presently has the greatest length of contact. [[fig:alignment: enemy auto-alignment]]. All the group to which it eventually belongs must then follow it in order that it keeps being the same group. The alignment is canceled, but not the contact, if there is not enough room to do so. [[fig:alignment: enemy group that cannot align]].
If a single base must get into [[close combat]] with an enemy base (because it was within its ZoC), and it cannot do so by [[moving straight forward]], then it must make the contact with a full alignment of front to front if it has room to do so. If it has not such possibility, it has to make the contact which is geometrically the closest approximation of such a contact. [[fig:alignment: geometrically challenged single base engagement]]
!! sequential reading
# [[align]]

A ''far move'' is a [[voluntary move]] that ''must'' begin at a distance ''greater'' than 8[[MU]] from any enemy [[base]]. [[fig:move: far move]].
A [[base]] can make several far moves in the same [[bound]].
A far move cannot end in contact with enemy except if this enemy was hidden in an [[ambush]] and has just been discovered, in contact. If discovered at a distance, the move must end short immediately. There is no [[PIG]] penalty associated with this stopping short. [[fig:move: far move discovering an ambush]].

showing when there is alignment or not (the effect of alignment is not shown here).
See [[engagement]].

showing an enemy group finally aligning itself.
See [[engagement]].

showing what can prevent an enemy group to conform, including the edge of the world effect.
See [[engagement]].

[img[A base is zocced but lacks space to get easily into close combat.|figs/engagement/geometrically-challenged-single-base-engagement-01.svg]]
A group of [[Pk]] is approached by two enemy [[bases|base]]:
* on the left, [[Ax]] //Y// is [[zoccing|ZoC]] [[Pk]] //B//;
* on the right, [[Bd]] //Z// is zoccing [Pk]] //C//, //D// and //E//.
[img[A lack of room cannot preclude a close combat.|figs/engagement/geometrically-challenged-single-base-engagement-02.svg]]
[[Pk]] //B// cannot contact [[Ax]] //Y// by [[moving straight forward]]. And as it has no problem of room, it must [[align]] with [[Ax]] //Y// if it want to get into [[close combat]] with it.
[[Pk]] //C// cannot contact [[Bd]] //Z// by [[moving straight forward]], but it has not the room to get into [[close combat]] with //Z// and [[align]] itself with //Z//. So instead it has to go into [[close combat]] with a partial frontal contact, its right flank touching the front of friendly [[Pk]] //D//, because that is as close as to [[align]] itself with [[Bd]] //Z// as it can perform.
See also [[fig:zoc:getting out of zoc simultaneously]] to see what can be done for [[Pk]] //D//, //E// and //F//.

showing a group of skirmishers being separated after contact.
See [[engagement]].

showing the isolated base conforming or not.
See [[engagement]].

what can prevent a moving group alignment.
See [[engagement]].

drawing enemy lines of sight to delimit the cone of concealment.

Be precise with crest lines that do the concealment. Note that the hiding can be expanded behind the hill. Note also that a RGo cover in front of the hill may be used to lay an ambush of [[Ps]].

troop can touch the edge of the gully. Notice the talweg and how troops are positioned in relation to it.

[img[typical setup for an ambush in a wood|figs/ambush/ambush-within-a-wood.svg]]
Here is a typical case. Some [[mounted]] troops are in [[ambush]] at the edge of a [[wood|Wd]]. The figure shows what is exactly designed. It also exposes how to draw it (with simplified [[bases|base]] drawings, of course!).
It is important to represent what is being ambushed and to indicate the natures and positions of the troops that are making it. Here we have a line of four [[Cv]] with a single [[LH]] on its left end. You have to indicate the front of at least a [[base]]. This is enough because all the bases belong to the same [[group]].
So the first thing is to indicate what each base is. If the C-in-C is among them, it must be precisely located. The relative place of each base is set. Remember that the whole ambush must be a single [[group]] so it helps drawing them quickly.
Notice key distances so that the figures can be set on table without hesitation, without any room for shifting and sliding at will. In this example, you will notice that the [[LH]] base //E// is touching the edge of the [[wood|Wd]]. You also indicate that the distance between [[Cv]] base //B// and the edge of the wood culminate at 1cm. To be very sure there will be no problem arising, you also notice that the left flank of the distance between [[Cv]] base //A// and the edge of the wood must have a maximum equal to 3cm.
The shape of the wood is fairly complex, and you don't have to draw an exact replica of it. Just have it roughly set and be sure to indicate the key measurements for laying the ambush.
Distance are given in cm in this example, as it was felt precise enough. If you need more precision, use mm.
If the are several woods on the table, you must precisely indicate in which wood lay the ambush. Thus may be indicated by words or by a map of the whole table.

Explicit positions in a [[close combat]].

illustration of [[cohesion effect]].

initial positions required to perform a [[flank attack]].

Initial positions before a [[rear attack]].

Example to illustrate who suffers from [[dazzle]] in [[close combat]].

illustrating a [[flank attack]].

An example of each level of priority for being the [[main opponent]].

example of [[overlaps|overlap]] and associated [[tactical factors]]. includes two overlaps on the same flank counting only for one.

What is a [[rear attack]]?

Being near or in a [[river]] may forbid some contact.

No [[support]] because of DGo or bad alignment of friendly [[bases|base]] or having different [[main opponents|main opponent]].

a simple static bent column. within a larger group to show the head of the column is not within the larger group.

lateral restriction for a bent [[column extension]].

showing the move of a bent column compound of bases of different dimensions, showing how to deal with the turning point representation.

the gap rules is ignored if getting out of a column to extend it.
See [[column extension]].

showing a recoil of a composite bent column

a simple column within a larger group and odds out of it.

[img[the 4 kind of bases|figs/conventions/bases-shapes.svg]]
There are four shapes of bases as here illustrated for 15mm figurines:
* 15x40mm, here with a base of [[Sp]];
* 20x40mm, here with a base of [[Bw]];
* 30x40mm, here with a base of [[Cv]];
* 40x40mm, here with a base of HCh.
You may look at the [[graphical conventions|figs:conventions]].

[img[the same base drawn in all 4 directions|figs/conventions/graphical-conventions.svg]]
See [[how to read the picture of a base|fig:conventions: look of a friendly base]] and [[look at an enemy base|fig:conventions: look of an enemy base]] if need be.
Looking down [[bases|base]] have their [[troop type]] written as if looking up. The pentagon and the position of the identifying letter make it clear they are looking down. Note that this identifying letter is always written normally (ie top is upside).
Bases looking on right or left have the troop type label pivoted accordingly, thus making it clear what orientation they have : the base on the right of the picture is looking to the left while the base on the left is looking to the right.
Of course, the color gradient, the pentagon and the position of the identifying letter are hints to where is the front of each base.
As for the two bases in the middle, the upper one is looking up and the lower one is looking down. This is all true both for friends and enemy bases.

[img[how to decipher a friendly base|figs/conventions/look-of-a-friendly-base.svg]]
A figure of a [[base]] give you 5 important pieces of information:
# its dimensions (accurate),
# its [[troop type]] (but neither its [[grade]] nor its [[Irr/Reg category|regular]]),
# to whom it belongs (friend or enemy),
# the letter identifying the base,
# its front.
The dimensions are given by the geometrical shape itself. There are only 4 shapes: 40x40, 30x40, 20x40 and 15x40.
The troop type is written in the midst of the base.
The identifying letter begins with //A// for friends, and goes up. It is beginning at //Z// for foes and goes down. The order is from front to rear within columns then from left to right. The identifying letter is always in the front left corner of the base.
Identifying letters are encapsulated in a glyph indicating if the base is friendly or enemy: a circle for a friend, a diamond for an enemy (this diamond is also a square). Also, friends and enemies are drawn in a different color scheme. Bases in shades of blue are foes. Bases in shades of brown are friends.
There is a big pentagon in the upper middle of the base. It is pointing to the front of the base and its own basement is at the rear of the base. The shades are dark at the back of the base and clear at the front of the base.
These conventions were made in order to be readable with black and white media while being comfortable in full colors.
Now you can [[look at an enemy base|fig:conventions: look of an enemy base]] to see the differences. Then you can see [[bases in all 4 major orientations|fig:conventions: look of a base depending of its orientation]].

[img[how to read the picture of an enemy base|figs/conventions/look-of-an-enemy-base.svg]]
This is an enemy [[base]] looking up. See [[how to read the picture of a base|fig:conventions: look of a friendly base]] to help decipher the figure.
The differences with a friendly base are:
* the background color is blue instead of ocher,
* the identifying letter is within a diamond instead of a circle.
You can see [[bases in all 4 major orientations|fig:conventions: look of a base depending of its orientation]].

showing when B and C are parallel and when they are not.

what do we measure ? an example.

general case B and touching C: which is the MDF?

how one can try to avoid enemy when fleeing. No enemy Ps involved.

how mounted can try to avoid terrain while fleeing. show a case where initial DGo forbids that.

special case of enemy Ps. showing one surviving enemy Ps. the fleeing base is not a Ps.

some friends in close combat as you are fleeing. illustrations of an avoidance and of a destruction.

typical flight

Some gaps are not gaps.

simple illustration of what is a gap. Shows that there is no gap between a base and the border of the table.

restricted moves within a gap

constitution of a group by example.

examples of sub-group.

what can be or not a target for a HCh.

a rather real life example [[impetuous]] move showing a big group with several target tearing it apart.

an example of gap with target choice and an other with move.

some geometry for choice. not explaining MDF again.

HCh that deviate and how and some that don't for 2 different reasons.

tweaking the move to avoid being in a group.

showing the zone of no far move and an example of far move going into the tactical move zone.

a single base discover an ambush in a Wd. a line discover and hit an ambush on the border of a gully. all the move are shortened.

showing a double rank of Pk with some odd Ps doing it. with the general to really show how it is done.

showing an example of a group with a base on the left or on the rear that prevents it to be able to pivot (see [[pivoting]])

A move in RGo shorted by RGo and a move into DGo that is impossible because of an insufficient move distance in DGo.

example of pack, with some bases out of it and yet in contact.

a pack of foot and mounted go full speed and get distorted and even broken in two or more.

an example of a pack evolving into a group and succeeding at it

a pack that keeps being a pack but is getting more ordered, closer to being a group.

pass through simple example

pivoting on the left a group of at least 3 deep somewhere and in particular to the right.

really simple. just to be 100% clear.

showing a close and a far away 'tactical move'

examples of impossible pass through (because of geometrical obstacle)

just showing an impossible recoil is an incomplete recoil with zero distance of effective recoil. several cause of blocking are illustrated: friends, enemies, table edge.

what are the causes for an incomplete recoil ? include terrain, friend, enemy, table edge.

recoiling with a passing through a friend

recoiling and pushing back a friend

a deep base recoils and pushes back a narrow friend and both get out of table.

what to measure to select target.

geometry of eligible target and gap intervening in shooting possibilities

a target is shot once and flees. it is then the target of an other Bw. it can't shoot at it.

illustrating shooting against the wind in simple case and one where the primary and secondary shooters are not in the same situation with respect to the wind.

several shooters. one secondary shooter is shooting from behind tho target and add +1.

example to illustrate when a shooter suffers from dazzle in close combat. Clarify the rules about Bw position and that direction of shooting does not intervene.

showing the shooting zone of a Bw

showing when no upper ground claim is valid.

what is upper ground exactly ? what is not (except corollary)

[img[defending a river edge is examined while in close combat|figs/terrain/defending-a-river-edge.svg]]
* //A// is ''not'' defending the river edge because it has no opponent.
* //B// is ''not'' defending the river edge against //W// because //W// is not a wader.
* //C// is defending the river edge against //X//.
* //D// is ''not'' defending the river edge against //Y// because although //Y// is a wader, it is also positioned onto a river ford where a [[road]] crosses the river.
* //E// is ''not'' defending the river edge against //Z// because although //Z// is a wader, //E// is more than its own base depth away from the river edge.
See [[defending a river edge]].

[img[showing how bases can follow a river|figs/terrain/following-a-river-side.svg]]
Bases //A//, //B// and //C// are following a road next to the river, so that one of their flank touch the river side. If they follow this road while it is so close to the river, they follow the river side. We then say that this road is also following the river side between points //P// and //Q//.
Now, the same bases can follow the river side without this road: they will just take the very same path. Hence, following a river side is the same than [[following a road|fig:terrain: following a road]] which follows the river side.

[img[showing what following a road is|figs/terrain/following-a-road.svg]]
Troops follow a road by having the center of their bases centered on the middle of the road. They have to change direction when the road does, see [[fig:column: bent column in move]] for details on how to do it with a [[column]].
Note that the road which is in GGo could not have be nearer of the wood otherwise troops like //F// here would have been both in GGo and in DGo while on a road, which must be avoided as much as can be when one [[create the battlefield]].

[img[geometrical rules for crossing a river|figs/terrain/river-crossing.svg]]
Crossing a river is only at from -45° to +45° with a perpendicular line to its stream direction. Here the contact point of [[Bw]] //E// with [[Rv]] is //A// and the intention was to cross the river at an angle α ≤ 45°. //E// must already have this α angle with the river stream direction when it hits the river. It then go straightforward and its (here) left front corner will exit the river at point //B// with a β angle with its stream direction at this point //B//. If the river is straight, α = β and all is fine.
But here the river is curved and β < α and if β is too much greater than 45° then the initial angle must be less than α. Here we have shown that the exit point can be no more away of //D// than //C// which have an α angle with the stream of 45°. Note than the initial angle is now δ and that δ < α. This rule is to avoid abuses and must not itself be abused!
The [[base]] //E// is now crossing the river at a δ angle (it shall now touch the river with a δ angle instead of an α angle). Base //F// is an example of a position that //E// will get while going across the river.

[img[geometrical limits on river crossing|figs/terrain/road-across-a-river.svg]]
Road //R// cross the river correctly: it is orthogonal to it. Road //S// is not legally crossing the river. Remember a road can only cross once the same river.

Example illustrating how to determine from where the wind first blows.

example showing how the wind direction change.

[img[How to get in close combat when initially zocced in non obvious situations.|figs/zoc/from-zoc-to-close-combat-01.svg]]
* [[Pk]] //A// and //B// are in the ZoC of enemy [[Sp]] //Y// and //Z//.
* [[Wb]] //D// which a base width away of [[Sp]] //Y// is in its ZoC.
* Enemy [[Bw]] //X// is zoccing [[Wb]] //C//.
* [[Bw]] //X// is not zoccing anyone.
Each pink area materializes a ZoC. The green area is the portion of the ZoC of [[Sp]] //Y// which has been neutralized by [[Bw]] //X//. Thus, we see that [[Wb]] //D// is ''not'' zocced by [[Sp]] //Y//, but it is zocced by [[Bw]] //X//.
Now is your [[bound]] and you can [[move]].
[img[How the Pk moved and where the Wb went impetuously.|figs/zoc/from-zoc-to-close-combat-02.svg]]
[[Pk]] //A// does a [[voluntary move]]: it [[goes straight forward|moving straight forward]] to contact the front of its zoccer, followed by [[Pk]] //B//. The [[main opponent]] of //A// is [[Sp]] //Z//.
Both [[Wb]] have made an [[impetuous move]]. [[Wb]] //C// moves first. Its target must be [[Bw]] //X// because it is the only enemy that is zoccing it (it would be the same if //C// had to make a [[voluntary move]]). It could not [[pivot|pivoting]] on its front left angle to achieve that because it would then enter //W//'s ZoC and then the target priorities rules would have mandated that //W// be its target. But this is not allowed because //W// was not zoccing //C// at the beginning of the move. So //C// must instead go directly at //X// and [[align|engagement]] itself with //X//.
[[Wb]] //D// has [[Bw]] //X// for target too, because //D// cannot hit any of the [[Sp]]. //D// will reach //X// thus:
# [[moving straight forward]] as far as contacting //B//;
# friendly [[Pk]] //B// cannot be displaced because it is giving support to [[Pk]] //A// which is already in [[close combat]] with [[Sp]] //Z//;
# so //D// does a lateral shift, by as little as it can to clear //B// and be able to keep [[moving straight forward]] towards its target;
# [[moving straight forward]] until contacting //X//.
Note that initially [[Bw]] //X// was not zoccing [[Wb]] //D//.
Now, [[Wb]] //D// will make its own [[impetuous move]]. It is unable to contact any target so its target is [[Sp]] //Y// because it is the only enemy base zoccing it. As //D// is unable to get into [[close combat]] against //Y// or to overlap it, the player that is playing it chooses that its impetuous move is to [[move straight forward|moving straight forward]]. //D// stops as soon as it contacts [[Pk]] //B// and ends here because //B// provide a [[support]] to [[Pk]] //A// in its [[close combat]] with [[Sp]] //Z//.

[img[the ZOC area is a square in front of the base as wide as its front|figs/zoc/zoc.svg]]
The ZoC area of the [[base]] //E// is a square, one side of which is the front of //E//.

[img[zoccing and unzoccing enemy|figs/zoc/zocced.svg]]
Two [[bases|base]] of [[Sp]] //A// and //B// and a [[Ps]] //C// have a ZoC. The ZoC of //A// and also that of //C// are represented in pink with a red border.
The enemy are 3 [[Wb]] //X//, //Y// and //Z// and also a [[Ps]] //W//. //Z// is exactly at a [[base]] width of //A//. //X// is directly zocced by //A// and //B//. //Y// is also zocced by //A// and //B// because //X// does not prevent zoccing.
//Z// is zocced by //A// because it is not beyond its ZoC. //Z// is also zocced by //B// because it is not out the ZoC of //B// and that no intervening friends (like //X// or //Y//) can negate an enemy ZoC.
[[Ps]] //W// is not zocced by //A// because [[Bw]] //C// which is a friend of //A// is intervening. The portion of //A//'s ZoC which is neutralized by //C// is represented in green. Of course, //W// is zocced by //C//.
The right rear corner of //Z// is exactly aligned with the right border of //B//. Only that corner of //Z// is within the ZoC of //C// and so //C// is not zoccing //Z//.

Getting a pair of bases out of enemy ZoC can be tricky (and expensive).

A [[base]] //A// is ''fighting from upper ground'' against an enemy base //Z// if any point of the ''rear'' edge of //A// is higher than any point of base //Z// with which it is in [[close combat]]. //Z// is not necessarily //A//'s [[main opponent]].
* [[fig:tactical factors: upper ground]]
* [[fig:tactical factors: no upper ground]]

This is a collection of schemas clarifying how ambushes can be done and recorded.
!! sequential reading
# [[fig:ambush: ambush within a wood]]
# [[fig:ambush: ambush within a gully]]
# [[fig:ambush: ambush behind hill]]
# [[fig:ambush: ambush on a hill behind crest]]

The figures of this category explain how to read the schemas (pictures) of [[bases|base]].
!! naming onventions
* figures are named with a ''fig:'' prefix, followed by a secondary prefix like ''terrain:'' for instance, which indicate the ''figs:'' category to which belong the graphic. For instance //fig:zoc: moving in zoc// would belong to category //figs:zoc//.
* the category (or tag) is named with a ''figs:'' prefix and correspond to a sub-directory of the //figs// directory where all the graphics of the category are kept. The name of that sud-directory is directly derived from that of the category. For instance, here the category is figs:conventions and the sub-directory is figs/conventions. A dash in the directory name is replaced with a space ad so we have //figs:close combat// for sub-directory //close-combat//.
* there shall not be camelcase names in //fig:// or //figs:// names. Thus, we have //figs:zoc// instead of //figs:~ZoC//.
* Only minuscule US ASCII letters, digits and minus sign are allowed in directory and filenames (plus the dot for the extension for the filenames). So convert any uppercase letter and other extra glyph such as accentuated letter of //fig:// name or into its equivalent minuscule(s) and never use uppercase in //figs:// name. You keep any space in the //figs:// name but replace it with a dash in the directory name.
* graphics in the wikis are svg graphics and this why the ''documents/figs'' link relates to ''../schemas/figs-svg''. The build system is able to generate either svg or png graphics for ebooks out of original svg file. Svg files are resized by the build system. This allows you to keep your svg file all at the same scale and thus ease your work when you edit a drawing and have to import a basegraphics from the graphics library, which is located in ''schemas/library''.
* if a figure (which is a //fig:// tiddler) needs several schemas for clarity's sake, then each schema should be numbered with a suffix in //-XY// before the //.svg//, beginning with //-01//. The leading zero is mandatory. So that figure //figs:zoc: moving in zoc// could have two schemas: //moving-in-zoc-01.svg// and //moving-in-zoc-02.svg// for instance.
Translated works ''must'' keep the directory and files names of the original English ruleset. But they must translate the tiddlers titles and categories, with respect to the //fig:// and //figs:// convention.
# [[fig:conventions: look of a friendly base]]
# [[fig:conventions: look of an enemy base]]
# [[fig:conventions: look of a base depending of its orientation]]
# [[fig:conventions: bases shapes]]
!! sequential reading
# [[fig:conventions: look of a friendly base]]
# [[fig:conventions: look of an enemy base]]
# [[fig:conventions: look of a base depending of its orientation]]
# [[fig:conventions: bases shapes]]

figures to make clear of what most directly facing is, really. See [[shooting]].
!! sequential reading
# [[fig:facing: most directly facing simple case]]
# [[fig:facing: most directly facing neighbor]]
# [[fig:facing: most directly facing when not in contact]]

The following drawings are about [[roads|road]] and [[water features|water feature]], especially rivers :
# [[fig:terrain: river crossing]]
# [[fig:terrain: road across a river]]
# [[fig:terrain: following a road]]
# [[fig:terrain: following a river side]]
# [[fig:terrain: defending a river edge]]
!! sequential reading
# [[fig:terrain: river crossing]]
# [[fig:terrain: road across a river]]
# [[fig:terrain: following a road]]
# [[fig:terrain: following a river side]]
# [[fig:terrain: defending a river edge]]

A collection of precious illustrations about how to deal with ZoC:
# [[fig:zoc: zoc]]
# [[fig:zoc: zocced]]
# [[fig:zoc: from zoc to close combat]]
# [[fig:zoc:getting out of zoc simultaneously]]
!! sequential reading
# [[fig:zoc: zoc]]
# [[fig:zoc: zocced]]
# [[fig:zoc: from zoc to close combat]]
# [[fig:zoc:getting out of zoc simultaneously]]

Here are the figures that illustrates the rules. They are not creating new rules of their own! They are merely illustrating and clarifying the actual rules.
All figures belong to a category whose name begins by ''figs:'' and where you can find other schemas relative to the same theme. For instance, //figs:shooting// illustrates shooting rules.
The first things to read are the [[conventions|figs:conventions]].
!! sequential reading
# [[figs:conventions]]
# [[figs:terrain]]
# [[figs:ambush]]
# [[figs:move]]
# [[figs:zoc]]
# [[figs:gap]]
# [[figs:group]]
# [[figs:column]]
# [[figs:alignment]]
# [[figs:impetuous]]
# [[figs:shooting]]
# [[figs:facing]]
# [[figs:close combat]]
# [[figs:tactical factors]]
# [[figs:recoil]]
# [[figs:flight]]
# [[figs:wind]]

!! on the left
A [[base]] //A// is being ''flank attacked'' on its left by an enemy base //Z// if both:
# //Z//'s front edge touches //A//'s left flank;
# one of //Z//'s front corners touches either //A//'s left front corner or //A//'s left flank.
[[fig:close combat: flank attack]].
//Z// can go into such a positions only if before its move it is both:
# completely on the left of the left flank of //A//;
# completely behind the front edge of //A//.
[[fig:close combat: conditions for a flank attack]].
!! on the right
The rules are similar.
A base //A// is being ''flank attacked'' on its right by an enemy base //Z// if both:
# //Z//'s front edge touches //A//'s right flank;
# one of //Z//'s front corners touches either //A//'s right front corner or //A//'s right flank.
//Z// can go into such a positions only if before its move it is both:
# completely on the right of the right flank of //A//;
# completely behind the front edge of //A//.

An ''flee'' is an [[outcome move]] that is done so:
# a [[recoil]];
# a [[turnabout]];
# a [[moving straight forward]] of a full [[move distance]]. [[fig:flight: simple flight]]. If there are any friendly [[bases|base]] acting as obstacles on their way (ie, they cannot be [[passed through|pass through]], those troops are taken away behind the fleeing [[base]], in the order in which they are met. If there are any enemy [[bases|base]] acting as obstacles on their way then:
## they should be avoided by making a [[pivot|pivoting]] of up to 90 degrees that shall be done more than 2[[MU]] away from that enemy base, so that this angle is minimal and there is no other enemy obstacle in the new direction for the remaining of the move. [[fig:flight: flee and avoid enemy]];
## if the enemy cannot be thus avoided, the fleeing move is not made and the would-be-fleeing [[base]] is instead immediately removed as [[destroyed]] and the consequences of the destruction immediately and normally apply for both players;
## as an exception to the above are enemy [[Ps]] which, if they cannot be avoided, would effectively imply the [[destruction|destroyed]] of the [[base]] attempting to flee, but would also be removed as [[destroyed]] themselves; if several enemy [[Ps]] were contacted at the same time they are all destroyed. [[fig:flight: fleeing among enemy Ps]];
## friendly [[base]] in [[close combat]] shall be treated as enemy for the purpose of an fleeing move, including an eventual destruction as stated by the previous point. [[fig:flight: fleeing among friends in close combat]].
In addition to the above rules, [[mounted]] can choose to avoid DGo when they flee if they are not in DGo at the beginning of the [[outcome move]]. In this case, they treat DGo as if it was enemy bases. [[fig:flight: flee and avoid terrain]].

A base //A// is in ''frontal contact'' with enemy base //Z// when either of the following apply:
* //A//'s front is in contact with an edge of //Z//;
* //A//'s front is in contact with a corner of //Z//;
* one of //A//'s front corner is in contact with an edge of //Z//.
If //A// is in frontal contact with enemy base //Z//, then //A// is in [[close combat]] with //Z//.
[[fig:close combat: close combat]]
If //A// is in frontal contact with ''only one'' enemy base //Z//, then //Z// is the [[main opponent]] of //A//.
If //A// is in frontal contact with more than one enemy base, then //A// is in [[close combat]] with each of them, but ''only one of them'' is its [[main opponent]].
The [[outcome of the close combat|combat outcome]] only apply to its [[main opponent]]. If base //Z// is the main opponent of base //A// then:
* if //A// is [[destroyed]] or has to make a [[recoil]] then ''only'' //Z// may [[pursue|pursuit]] ;
* if //Z// is [[destroyed]] or has to make a [[recoil]] then all the enemies of //A// in frontal contact with //A// must do a [[recoil]] and be affected by all its consequences.
!! sequential reading
# [[main opponent]]

A ''gap'' is the space between two [[bases|base]] when this space is less than or equal to a base width. [[fig:gap: gap]].
Moves within a gap are constrained: they can only be:
* [[moving straight forward]] (or backward);
* making a [[turnabout]].
[[fig:gap: moving within a gap]].
There is [[shooting]] restrictions within gaps.
Caution: the base doing the [[move]] or the [[shooting]] does not count for the existence of a gap! [[fig:gap: absence of gap]]. See also the special case of [[column extension]].

Going into a [[column]] is a group [[move]].
A [[group]] may go into a column that will be ''facing in the same direction'' thus:
# the [[base]] that will be leading the [[column]] move forwards;
# the other bases try to follow directly behind provided their front does not have to recoil in so doing;
# otherwise they shift sideways, provided they do not advance beyond the original front of the base now head of the columns;
# otherwise they cannot take part to the move (and must be excluded from the group so commanded as far as [[PIGs|PIG]]s are concerned).
A [[group]] may go into a column that is facing ''orthogonally to its former direction'' thus:
# the head of the column is one of the [[bases|base]] on one end of the group and in the front line, and this base is [[pivoting]] on one of its front corner and then eventually advancing as long as its move distance is allowing (taking the pivot into account);
# the other bases follow on directly behind, in the order decided by the player, with a move distance that can be four time that of the group move;
# otherwise they cannot take part to the move (and must be excluded from the group so ordered as far as [[PIGs|PIG]]s are concerned).
A column cannot change direction while it is being constructed.

; grade
: one of ''S''uperior, ''O''rdinary, ''I''nferior, ''F''ast or e''X''ceptional.
To indicate a grade we note its abbreviation between round parenthesis, like ''(O)'' for Ordinary.
To indicate that a grade can be either I or X (for instance) we shall note it ''(I/X)''. Grades in those cases must always be given in the order ''SOIFX''.

;grade adjustments
:after having added one's [[combat factor]], a [[D6]] and every [[combat advantage]] you have your first total score. ''Grade adjustments'' are taking [[grades|grade]] into account to compute the second total score.
!! grade adjustments for [[close combat]]
Troops scoring ''more'' than their enemy add one to their score for each of the following that apply:
* they fight against (I) troop;
* they fight in their own [[bound]] against (F) troop;
* their are (S) troop in their ''own'' [[bound]].
(S) troops scoring ''less'' than their opponent in their ''opponent'''s [[bound]] also add one to their score.
!! grade adjustments for [[shooting]]
[[Bw]] scoring ''more'' than their enemy add one to their score for each of the following that apply:
* they are [[Bw]](S);
* their target is (I) or (F).
!! grade adjustments for being shot at
(S) troops scoring ''less'' than their opponent add one to their score.

A ''group'' is a set of at least two [[bases|base]], all of which look in the same [[direction]] with the same orientation, and each of them is connected with at least an other [[base]] of the group with both a corner-to-corner contact and an edge-to-edge contact. [[fig:group: group]]. Every [[base]] within a group is in [[group connection]] with every other base of this group.
The ''front'' of a group is composed of al the bases which are on its (most forward) front line. In the case where several fronts would exist, only the largest one is considered as the front of the group.
A [[column]] is a special case of group.
A ''sub-group'' is a group within a larger group. [[fig:group: sub-group]].
A group [[move]] cannot excess the [[move distance]] of its slowest [[base]]. [[fig:move: moving into terrain]].
!!sequential reading
# [[direction]]
# [[group connection]]
# [[column]]

A [[base]] //A// is in ''group connection'' with a base //B// if there is a [[group]] which includes both of them. This group may be reduced to just //A// and //B//. //A// is not necessarily in contact with //B//.

Some troops are [[impetuous]] and, as such, subject to [[impetuous move]]. In order to prevent this they may be halted. This is not a [[move]] but it costs [[PIGs|PIG]] likewise.
Halting troops happen in the move phase of a [[bound]].
During the whole move phase, a troop cannot be halted if has [[moved|move]] and reciprocally it cannot [[move]] once it has been halted, but it can be halted several times.

; impetuous
: said of a [[base]] required to do an [[impetuous move]] this bound.
The ''impetuous'' are:
* Irr HCh, Irr [[Bd]][F), [[Wb]] who have not [[moved|move]] or been [[halted|halt]] this bound;
* any troops that could contact [[Bg]] into [[close combat]].
However, if a [[base]] that would be impetuous is currently in [[close combat]] or acting as an [[overlap]] against an enemy base which is itself in [[close combat]], then this would-be-impetuous base is ''not'' impetuous.

An ''impetuous move'' is a spontaneous move made by [[impetuous]] troops.
!! target
Troops that are impetuous only because they would contact [[Bg]] have those as their only target. The other must first choose their target.
Eligible targets can be:
* a [[base]] of [[Ps]] but only if it can be contacted into [[close combat]] by [[moving straight forward]];
* any other base if is within 12[[MU]].
[[fig:impetuous: eligible targets of impetuous]]
[[Mounted|mounted]] will ignore targets in terrain which they do not consider themselves as GGo.
If there is no eligible target, [[impetuous]] troops will move straight ahead at full [[move distance]], except that mounted can deviate of up to 90° to avoid DGo they are not yet within.
If there is an eligible target, impetuous must move toward it, trying to ''reach'' it. Reaching its target is either:
* getting into [[close combat]] with it;
* going in position of [[support]] or [[overlap]] but only if the target is already in [[close combat]].
If more than one target is eligible then an impetuous base shall select the one that it can reach immediately. If several targets can be immediately reached, the target will be, with decreasing priority:
# the first enemy [[base]] it can ''reach'' while [[moving straight forward]];
# the enemy base it can ''reach'' with the shortest move while performing only an initial [[pivot|pivoting]] then [[moving straight forward]];
# the enemy base it can ''reach'' with the shortest move of any kind;
# the enemy base which is the [[most directly facing]] it.
If the target is a base of [[El]] then the impetuous move is canceled. If there are several targets of equal priority, the player has the choice of the target, except that he cannot choose an [[El]] if an other target is not an [[El]]. [[fig:impetuous: impetuous choice of target]].
!! playing the impetuous move
Once the target is chosen, the active player must move its impetuous [[base]]. This is a normal move except that:
* the impetuous [[base]] ignores the [[zone of control|ZoC]] of any enemy [[Ps]] if it is not itself a [[Ps]];
* [[mounted]] can avoid DGo they have not yet entered into by an initial deviation of up to 90&deg; [[fig:impetuous: mounted impetuous deviating]];
* if it reach a friend that blocks its way, then apply the first bullet that apply below:
** if that friend is an [[El]] or is in [[close combat]] or in [[overlap]] or [[support]] for a close combat, then the move ends immediately;
** if that friend is impetuous, and has not moved this [[bound]], the latter must immediately make an impetuous move (even if [[halted|halt]]) and then only will you finish the first move;
** if that friend is impetuous and has moved this [[bound]], then the move ends immediately;
** otherwise the friend must [[recoil]] to make way and if he cannot recoil or the impetuous is [[mounted]] it must [[flee]] (after an eventual recoil).
If it cannot reach its target, an impetuous base can always begin its move by a move straight ahead if its target is even partially straight ahead of it. See the move of Wb //D// in [[fig:zoc: from zoc to close combat]] as an example of these rules.
After an impetuous move, a base that is neither in [[close combat]] nor in [[overlap]] nor [[support]] for a close combat cannot finish in a [[group]]. So if that would be the case, it must be moved of about five millimeters to the right or to the left or, if that would be impossible or connect it to a group, moved back by about 5mm, so that it finishes as an isolated base. [[fig:impetuous: not finishing in group]].
Impetuous obey the [[gap]] rules. [[fig:impetuous: impetuous and gap]].
Have a look at this example of à group of Wb going bersek: [[fig:impetuous: group of impetuous in move]].
!! sequential reading
# [[impetuous]]

Getting new army books for each new rules is not a bless. Knowing your army lists is time consuming and they are taking a valuable places on the shelves. So it would be best to be able to use common books.
This is what we are aiming for with our interoperability with DBMM army list books. You have to get them to play [[Blood and Blades|ruleset]].
Also, figures are put on a [[base]] in the exact manner of DBM and DBMM. Your lead assets are safe!

A ''waterway'' (noted WW)) or a ''lake'' (noted La) are impassable terrain. No baggage may deploy or [[ambush]] in them or [[move]] into them.
If an island is at 3[[MU]] or less from the shore of a [[WW]], the channel between the coast and the island is considered as à [[Rv]]. As such, and only if there is a [[BUA]] on the island, a [[road]] may go across this channel to join the [[BUA]].

''Light infantry'' is either [[Ax]] or [[Ps]].

Light troops are [[skirmishers]] and [[Ax]].

The ''main opponent'' is that which has the most dangerous position vs oneself in a [[close combat]].
If one is in [[close combat]] with only one enemy [[base]], then this base is its ''main opponent''.
If one is in [[close combat]] with several enemy bases, then its ''main opponent'' is that with the most dangerous ''position''. From most dangerous to least dangerous, these positions are:
# enemy front edge in contact with one's rear edge;
# enemy front edge in contact with one of one's rear corner;
# enemy front corner in contact with one's rear edge;
# enemy front edge in contact with one of one's right or left flank;
# enemy front corner in contact with one of one's right or left flank;
# enemy front edge in contact with one of one's front corner;
# enemy front edge in contact with one's front edge;
# enemy front corner in contact with one's front edge.
[[fig:close combat: main opponent]]
If two or more enemies are contacting your base with same level of priority, then this is the enemy which is the [[most directly facing]] the edge it is contacting that is the ''main opponent''. In the case they are contacting a base only by one of its corners, the edge to consider is the front edge if that corner is a front corner or otherwise the rear edge. If the [[most directly facing]] criterion does not sort out the main opponent, the choice of which is the main opponent is up to the enemy player.

''Moral'' for a [[base]] has three states: normal, [[destroyed]] and [[spent]].
[[Army moral|army moral]] has only two states: fighting and routed, although being [[victorious|victory]] could be seen as a third one.
!! sequential reading
# [[destroyed]]
# [[spent]]
# [[army moral]]
# PoC
# [[victory]]
# [[draw]]

!! the most directly facing among the bases currently in contact
For any [[base]] //A//, if enemy base //Z// is in contact with //A//, then //Z// is the ''most directly facing'' for base //A// if the move of //A// to [[engage|engagement]] and [[align]] with //Z// would be the shortest of all such moves from //A// to any base touching //A//. Note that the contact thus made has to be between the front of //A// and the edge of //Z// that //A// is initially in contact with. [[fig:facing: most directly facing simple case]].
With such a definition, it is for instance meaningful to tell about the most directly facing base for base //A// among bases //Y// and //Z// where //Z// touches the right flank of //A// and //Y// the left flank of //A//. [[fig:facing: most directly facing neighbor]].
!! generalization
This definition is extended to the case where //Z// does not touch //A//. The edge that //Z// has to touch is the edge of //A// which has the shortest of //shortest engaging moves// as previously described. [[fig:facing: most directly facing when not in contact]].
Generally, to determine the base most directly facing //A// we shall alternatively use one or the other definition for each examined enemy base as it is in contact with //A// or not, in order to compute the required move distance, and the ''most directly facing'' will be that among those bases that corresponds to the shortest of these distances.

''Mounted infantry'' is infantry that is at first mounted on vehicles and as such moves as LCh. They loose theirs vehicles as soon as any one of the following events happens:
* they make a [[tactical move]] ;
* they [[shoot|shooting]];
* they are [[shot|shooting]] at and lose the [[combat]];
* theirs vehicles would hinder the move of friendly or enemy [[bases|base]].
Mounted infantry must be represented as such.

Move distances are given in [[MU]].
They depend of the [[troop type]] (as given in the [[army list]]) of the [[base]] and of the [[terrain]]. They are stated below:
|Troop Types|GGo|RGo|DGo|[[road]]|h
|[[LH]]|5|3|2|4|
|[[Cv]], [[Cm]]|4|3|2|4|
|[[LCh]]|4|2|1|4|
|[[HCh]]|3|2|1|4|
|[[Ax]], [[Ps]]|3|3|3|4|
|[[Bw]], [[Bd]], [[Sp]], [[Pk]], [[Wb]]|2|2|2|4|
|Speeds of troop types in terrains (in p)|c
Troops graded as Fast (F) get a further 1[[MU]] on GGo. [[Infantry|infantry]] graded as Fast also get that 1[[MU]] bonus on RGo and on DGo. Such a bonus never apply if following a [[road]] or if the [[base]] is in a [[river|Rv]], even partially.
The above //road// column is for following a [[road]] but only if the road is not muddy (see RGo column in that case) and only if it concerns the whole move.
The kind of going to consider to compute the move distance of the movement is:
* [[difficult going|DGo]] if any base is getting even partially in [[difficult going|DGo]] during the move,
* otherwise [[rough going|RGo]] if any base is getting even partially in [[rough going|RGo]] during the move,
* otherwise [[good going|GGo]].
A move must halt short if going any further meant enter a going that would reduce the move distance so that it would be too small to even be able to enter into that very going. [[fig:move: moving into terrain]].

''Moving straight forward'' is just that, really.
Following a [[river|Rv]] side is counted as [[moving straight forward]], [[PIG]]-wise, if the move is only compound of following a river. To follow a river side, all the [[bases|base]] inside the [[group]] doing the move must be at a distance of the river side less than a quarter of a base width at any time during the move. [[fig:terrain: following a river side]]. A [[pack]] cannot follow a river in the sense given here.

The battles ends immediately as the night is set. The battle is a [[draw]].

An ''order of battle'' is a document specifying the quality and number of troops, including the C-in-C, that has been computed from the [[army list]] to which it refers.
It must include the [[level of demoralization of the army|army moral]] and its [[aggression factor]], and what kind of [[terrain]] if offers if invaded. It names the modeled army and indicates any used option.

An ''outcome move'' is a [[move]] done just as a [[shooting]] or a [[close combat]] has been resolved.
An ''outcome move'' is either:
* a [[recoil]];
* a [[withdrawal]];
* a [[fleeing|flee]];
* a [[pursuit]].
!! sequential reading
# [[recoil]]
# [[withdrawal]]
# [[flee]]
# [[pursuit]]

Both the right and left flanks of a [[base]] can be ''overlapped''.
To act as an overlap against an enemy base //Z//, a base //A// must fully satisfy one of the following cases:
* one of //A//'s front corners is is contact with a front corner of base //Z// and //A// is not in [[close combat]] with any enemy base;
* one flank of //A// is in contact with a flank of //Z//.
[[fig:close combat: overlap]].

A ''pack'' is a set of at least two [[bases|base]] which all look in the same direction with the same orientation, and in which every [[base]] is at least connected border to border with an other [[base]] of the pack in one of the following ways:
* a front edge touching a rear edge contact;
* a right flank touching a left flank.
A corner to corner contact is not enough to grant being within a pack.
A pack is only a temporary thing, and is of use only for doing the moves a pack can do. [[fig:move: pack]]. A pack can only perform a single move during a [[bound]].
Also, a pack is always uniting as many [[bases|base]] as it can (one cannot consider sub-pack).
A [[group]] may always be considered as a pack.
!! pack moves
They are all [[voluntary moves|voluntary move]].
!!! full speed ahead
The aim is for every [[base]] in the pack to go straight ahead to its own maximum move distance. However, this move would immediately stop once its front met an other base (foe or friend).
The pack may dislocate itself with such a move. Please note that for each column of the pack, the [[bases|base]] should only be moved from first to last order! [[fig:move: pack at full speed ahead]].
!!! ordering the pack to evolve into a group
# A [[base]] is shown as ''the leader''. It will not move. It ''must'' be the most forward base of the pack, or one of them in case there are several bases being identically the most forward.
# All bases directly behind the leader move up to its full move distance to collapse into a [[column]].
# On its right (and left), the leading base can have its full move to align itself with the leader (or with a base already aligned with the leader).
# All the bases directly behind that leading base now try to form a column behind it (exactly as the bases behind the leader).
# Now process with the next row on the right (on the left) until there is none.
* [[fig:move: pack evolving into a group]]
* [[fig:move: pack just trying to be a group]]

Some [[troop types|troop type]] are able to ''pass through'' others:
* [[Ps]] may pass through any troop types except [[Pk]](I/X) while advancing or while [[recoiling|recoil]];
* [[LH]] may pass through any [[light troops]] while advancing;
* all [[mounted]] may pass through [[Ps]], while advancing or while [[recoiling|recoil]] as long as all their move is totally in [[good going|GGo]];
* every [[troop type]] except [[El]] may pass through [[Bg]] in any direction while advancing or while [[recoiling|recoil]].
All the [[bases|base]] involved must be of the same army. Except where stated otherwise, they must be in the same or opposite [[direction]]. The moving base place itself beyond the interpenetrated base provided that:
* its remaining [[move distance]] is enough to warrant this;
* there is enough place to do it. It may displace friends of just the required distance to do it provided that these friends are in the same [[direction]] than the interpenetrated [[base]], are neither [[Bg]] nor [[El]] and have the place to do so or can themselves displace friends in the same conditions. [[fig:move: pass through]] and [[fig:move: unable to pass through]].

In order to ''pivot'' on its left, a single [[base]] or a [[group]] must immobilize its front left corner and advance its front right corner of the distance intended. In the case of a [[group]], advance the bases between them to recreate the front line, then move the bases on the rear to recreate the geometry of the group. [[fig:move: pivoting a group]].
Note that:
* no [[base]] may neither be on the left nor forward of the pivot fix point(on the left);that
* no [[base]] may be on the right of the one used to measure the move distance (on the right).
[[fig:move: group unable to pivot]].
Act similarly for pivoting a single base or a group on its right.
If a [[group]] other than a [[column]] does an other pivot or a [[move straight forward|moving straight forward]] before or after a pivot, then every pivot can only be of 1[[MU]] maximum.

A player score is computed thusly:
# If a player is [[victorious|victory]], award him 5 points and give 1 point for his opponent.
# If there is a [[draw]] because of [[night]] or because of mutual defeat, award 3 points to each player.
# otherwise, each player get 2 points.
Tournaments organizers may alter this scoring or ad a secondary score to attain their goals of having a reasonable overall winner.

The game is played [[bound]] after bound until the [[victory]] of one of the player or they reach a [[draw]].
It is possible to compute each [[player's score]] after the battle.
!!sequential reading
# [[round]]
# [[bound]]
# [[PIG]]
# [[move]]
# [[shooting]]
# [[close combat]]
# [[moral]]
# [[player's score]]

A shot can be given by an unlimited number of shooting bases. One of the shooter is called the ''primary shooter''. It is up to the shooting player to indicate the primary shooter. However, if one of the shooters is shot at by the target, then this one ''must'' be the primary shooter.

After its opponent in a [[close combat]] has been destroyed or has [[recoiled|recoil]], [[withdrawn|withdrawal]] or [[fled|flee]], some [[bases|base]] can and others must ''pursue'' of their own depth and up up to a [[base]] width if [[mounted]] or half a base width otherwise ([[Hd]] would pursue of their own depth).
Those [[bases|base]] that ''must'' pursue are:
* HCh except against [[Ps]];
* Irr [[Sp]] and Irr [[Bd]] against any [[infantry]] but [[Ps]];
* [[Pk]] and [[Wb]] against any but [[Ps]] and [[LH]];
* those other than [[Ps]] that [[fought uphill|fighting from upper ground]] and whose raw dice score is odd and whose downhill opponent was not [[Ps]];
* [[Ps]] that [[fought uphill|fighting from upper ground]] and whose raw die score is odd;
* waders.
Those [[bases|base]] that ''may'' pursue are:
* those other than [[Bw]] that fought against an [[uphill enemy|fighting from upper ground]];
* Reg [[Bd]] ;
* any [[infantry]], except [[Bw]], that fought against [[Ps]] or [[LH]].
If a base is in a situation where at the same time it ''must'' pursue and it ''may'' pursue, then //it ''must'' pursue.//
As an exception to all of these rules, a base defending a river edge ''never'' pursue;
The pursuit will stop as soon as either:
* its front edge meets an other base that blocks its way;
* it front edge meets a battlefield edge;
* it is [[mounted]], not initially in DGo and it reaches DGo.

A friendly [[base]] is ''pushed back'' if it is in the same direction and in the way of a friendly [[recoiling|recoil]] base . It is pushed back for as much as the recoiling base has still to recoil. From now on, it is itself considered as a recoiling base (for the distance it is pushed back) for any purpose except that:
* it is recoiling only for the distance it is pushed back;
* it cannot [[pass through]] any friend;
* it cannot push back a base unless it is in [[group]] with it at the beginning of the move causing the pushing back. [[fig:recoil: recoil and push back]].
An [[El]] cannot be pushed back. A [[base]] that would require a [[El]] to be pushed back is [[destroyed]] and if this was also an [[El]], both [[El]] are [[destroyed]]. This destruction can not qualify a [[recoil]] as incomplete or impossible: it is only stampeding!

If there is a risk of ''rain'', each player throws a [[D6]] at the beginning of his [[bound]]. On a score of 6, the rain starts or it definitively stops if it has already begun (from now on, you must stop rolling a [[D6]] for rain).
Raining is a [[tactical factor|tactical factors]].

A base //A// is being ''rear attacked'' by an enemy base //Z// if //A// is the [[main opponent]] of //Z// and either:
* //Z// is touching the rear edge of //A// with its front edge or one of its front corner;
* //Z// is touching a rear corner of //A// with its front edge.
[[fig:close combat: rear attack]]
//Z// can go into such a positions only if before its move it is completely behind the rear edge of //A//. [[fig:close combat: conditions for a rear attack]].

A [[base]] is performing a ''recoil'' when it moves directly backward of its own base depth, as an [[outcome move]] after a [[close combat]] or being [[shot at|shooting]].
If a recoiling base goes even partially off table by one of the ''long table edge'', it is removed and considered as [[destroyed]]. This is ''not'' considered an incomplete recoil for computing [[tactical factors]].
A base that does suffer from a [[flank attack]] or of a [[rear attack]] cannot recoil and is instead [[destroyed]].
''Otherwise'', if, before the recoils is complete, the recoiling base meets the following, the recoil is incomplete and stops immediately:
* a [[water feature]] than it can not, in the direction is is having, going into;
* the front edge of an enemy base;
* an enemy base that geometrically blocks its way;
* friendly base it cannot [[pass through]] or [[push back]];
* a terrain it cannot go into (unless it is already at least partially in that terrain);
* one of the ''short table edges''.
[[fig:recoil: incomplete recoil]]
A recoiling base that may [[pass through]] a friendly base and chooses to do so will recoil more than the distance given in the tables given before. It will stop its move just after the passed through base. [[fig:recoil: recoil and pass through]].
A base recoiling into a friendly base may eventually be allowed to [[pass through]] it or to [[push back]] it.
If a [[pushed back|push back]] base cannot recoil as much as it should, the original recoiling base is stopped and its recoil is considered as incomplete. The original recoiling base may also recoil beyond a table edge at the same time. [[fig:recoil: recoil and push back out of table]].
A friendly [[base]] in [[close combat]] cannot be [[passed through|pass through]] or [[pushed back|push back]].
If a base cannot or would not be able to recoil ''at all'' then that is called an ''impossible recoil''. [[fig:recoil: impossible recoil]].
If an [[El]] recoils, any base that would be [[pushed back|push back]] is instead [[destroyed]]. If an [[El]] recoils into an enemy base, this base is [[destroyed]] and if it was also an [[El]] then both [[El]] are [[destroyed]]. This destruction can not qualify the recoil as incomplete or impossible: it is only stampeding!
The impossibility to complete a recoil is a [[combat advantage]] for one's opponent.
!! sequential reading
# [[push back]]

Some troops are qualified as ''regular''. They are being trained on a regular basis and are better at maneuver than others, which are called ''irregular''.
Regular is abbreviated as ''Reg'' and irregular as ''Irr''.

The procedure described here apply both for [[close combat]] and for [[shooting]].
Each player add its [[combat factor]] and a [[D6]] and any relevant [[combat advantage]] as deduced from the [[tactical factors]] to get their first total scores.
Now they compare them and eventually proceed to [[grade adjustments]] to get their second total score.
They finally check for [[cohesion effect]] and get their third total score, which is their ''final scores''.
They now compare their final scores and apply the results in the relevant table of the [[combat outcome]].
!! sequential reading
# [[combat factor]]
# [[tactical factors]]
# [[grade adjustments]]
# [[cohesion effect]]
# [[combat outcome]]

The order in which the shots are done is decided by the player whose [[bound]] it is.
The computations for managing a [[shooting]] are exposed in [[resolving a combat]].
If a [[base]] has been already shot at this [[bound]], it cannot be shot at a second time but ''it keeps being an eligible target''. Thus, as a result of an [[outcome move]] consecutive to the first shooting, it may become the new [[target]] of a shooter, who was initially having an other target it could effectively shoot at, and is now unable to make a shot.

A river (noted [[Rv]]) can only be crossed from +45° to -45° from the orthogonal direction to its stream. [[fig:terrain: river crossing]]. This limitation also apply for any base attempting a [[close combat]] a recoil, both of which may then be impossible moves. A [[road]] may only cross a river perpendicularly to its flow, be it on a bridge or at a ford. [[fig:terrain: road across a river]].
A Rv is RGo if it is at most 1[[MU]] wide, DGo if not. A Rv can nowhere be more than 2[[MU]] wide and less than 0.5[[MU]] wide.
Unless on a bridge, troops going across a river are called waders. Both waders and troops across a bridge cannot change direction: they can only [[move straight forward|moving straight forward]] or straight backward. Also, they never conform when contacted for [[close combat]]. Waders that must [[flee]] are instead [[spent]].
Contacting a [[base]] to get into [[close combat]] cannot be done if it would break the restriction on directions for crossing a river. [[fig:close combat: river and impossible contact]].

Roads are either rectilinear paved roads ''PR'' or more subjects to turns unpaved roads ''UR''. DBM ''Rd'' are ''UR''.
PR and UR have the same effect on [[move distances|move distance]].
Only a single road may cross a river on the whole battlefield. It may cross it only once. [[fig:terrain: road across a river]]. A bridge is impassable terrain except for troops following the road on it and for which it is GGo. [[fig:terrain: following a road]]
Road are no type of going of their own but count as the going they are above, except that after it has been raining for 4 completed [[rounds|round]], unpaved roads are muddy and counts as RGo, or DGo if they are above, and on bridge, which are unaffected.

The game is played with successive ''rounds''.
; round
: A round is made of two successive [[bounds|bound]].
A tournament organizer may impose a minimum number of rounds before allowing a [[draw]] which is neither due to the [[night]] nor to a mutual defeat.

; Blood and Blades
: Wargaming ruleset for the heroic chariotry era
''Blood and Blades is a simple wargame ruleset'' for little soldiers generals who want entertaining battles without using markers. It owes a lot to [[Phil Barker|http://www.phil-barker.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk]] who invented [[DBA|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Bellis_Antiquitatis]] and to Phil Barker and [[Richard Bodley-Scott|http://www.byzant.demon.co.uk/]] for their famous rulesets [[HOTT|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hordes_of_the_Things_%28wargame%29]] and [[DBM|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Bellis_Multitudinis]] and to Phil Barker again for [[DBMM|http://dbmm.org.uk/]]. It aims to be different from each one. It is more alike HOTT but for historicals. It does pick up good ideas from other rulesets and have a few mechanisms of its own.
''Blood and Blades is played with armies from 3000BC to 705BC.'' Extending to more recent periods will come later with [[version]] 2.
; License
: ''Blood and Blades is published under free license'' Creative Common 4.0 or later of type ''[[CC BY SA|http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/]]''. This work is also copyright 2013-2015 ~Jean-Pierre Rivière.
; Authors
: ~Jean-Pierre ''Rivière'', jn.pierre.riviere (at) gmail.com
; Website
: http://bloodandblades.com is the website in English for ''Blood and Blades''. Some parts may be translated in other languages, and in particular in French.
!! sequential reading
# [[version]]
# [[interoperability]]
# [[system]]
# [[troops]]
# [[setup]]
# [[playing a game]]
# [[combat]]
# [[figures]]

Battles are fought between two armies whose figurines have the same [[scale]]. This scale indicates what [[table size]] can be used.
Each army has only one general on table, who is the ~Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C). See [[budget]] and [[army list]] for all the relevant details.
There are some simple rules for [[weather]] and [[time of day]], to make for interesting variations and bring diversity to the games. However, those rules are optional.
The game is played with common dice that we call [[D6]]. We also use average dice that we call [[AD]].
Each player throws 1D6 and add its army [[aggression factor]] to its score. The player with the higher result is the invader. Throw the die again in case of equality until this is no more the case.
The next thing is to [[create the battlefield]].
Afterwards, it is time to optionally determine the [[weather]] then the [[time of day]].
The invaded player now deploys its baggage. The invading player then does so.
Next, each player throws 1D6. If the sum of the scores is 11 or 12 the invading player may choose to deploy first and move second. Otherwise he will deploy second and move first.
Each player then proceed to record precisely any [[ambush]] he may wish to set.
The player who has to deploy his army first now places all the [[bases|base]] of its army which are not in ambush. It is good manners to tell its opponent what he sees precisely at this moment and how to distinguish what looks similar but is different. The other player then deploys and shows off its army in the same way. Players don't have to tell how many points are seen on table or if they have made an ambush.
The first [[round]] can now take place.
Further information can be read in [[playing a game]].
!!sequential reading
# [[scale]]
# [[table size]]
# [[D6]]
# [[AD]]
# [[terrain]]
# [[weather]]
# [[time of day]]
# [[army]]
# [[ambush]]

A [[base]] of [[Bw]] which has [[fled|flee]] or done a [[far move]] or moved more than 1[[MU]] this [[bound]] cannot shoot or shoot back.
''Shooting'' is made after the [[impetuous moves|impetuous move]] and before proceeding to [[close combats|close combat]]. First, you need to determine the [[target]] of a shot, determine which is the [[primary shooter]] and compute [[shooting advantages|shooting advantage]]. You can then [[resolve shots|resolving shots]].
!!sequential reading
# [[target]]
# [[primary shooter]]
# [[shooting advantage]]
# [[resolving shots]]
# [[shooting against the wind]]

A shooting advantage is a [[combat advantage]] specific to the [[shooting]] phase.
The eventual second and third shooters give both a shooting advantage to the [[primary shooter]]. Other additional shooters do not have an effect on the shooting.
If a least one shooter is shooting to the rear edge of the [[target]] (that is, it can draw a valid shooting quadrilateral with the target rear edge as seen before to determine if a would-be target is legal) and is also completely behind the rear edge of the target, then an other shoting advantage is given. [[fig:shooting: shooting from the rear]].

A [[shot|shooting]] is ''against the wind'' if the direction ''from'' the center of the ''front'' of the base of the [[primary shooter]] ''to'' the center of the ''base'' of the target is within plus or minus 45 degrees of the direction of the [[wind]]. [[fig:shooting: shooting against the wind]].

Skirmishers are [[Ps]] and [[LH]].
All skirmishers are [[light troops]].

''Spent'' troops are [[skirmishers]] that have not been [[destroyed]] but have lost theirs missiles in battle and can no more skirmish and would leave battle at once. Thus they are removed from table and these losses are less important than if they were destroyed.

To give a ''support'' to a friendly [[base]] //B//, a base //A// must have its front edge in full contact with the rear edge of //B// (which requires that //A// be in corner-to-corner contact with //B//) and neither //A// nor //B// may be in even partially in DGo). [[fig:close combat: support]].

The [[TiddlyBook|https://github.com/psiloi/tiddlybook]] software runs under ''linux''. It could surely be made run on ~MacOS. ''You must have installed ~TiddlyBook and got it running'' in order to make docbook, ebooks and pdf out of this wiki.
The rules are written on a master wiki, which is a [[tiddlywiki|http://tiddlywiki.com/]]. It is helpful in being a wiki you have in a single html file. It has a timeline feature which helps in knowing what you were doing recently. It has a tag system. But it does not have recovery.
We use the tag system to attain two goals:
* help the reader and the writer by categorizing the articles (called //tiddlers// within a tiddlywiki);
* describe what kind of article we have with special tag beginning by a colon:
** '':part'' which is only use for the first tiddler, that which contains every other tiddler, directly or indirectly (it must contains ''chapter''s);
** '':chapter'' for a docbook chapter (a ''chapter'' cannot include a ''chapter''; it must be in the ''part'');
** '':section'' for a docbook section (beginning on a new page, can contain any number of ''section'' or ''simplesect'' but not //both//; it must be in a ''chapter'' or in a ''section'');
** '':simplesect'' for a docbook simplesect (the flow is continuating in the current page; any ''section'' containing a ''simplesect'' can only contains ''simplesect''s; ''simplesect''s are never seen in the table of contents (TOC) and must be in a ''section'');
** '':appendix'' for a docbook appendix, usually at the end of the book and which can be used instead of a ''chapter'';
** '':note'', '':tip'', '':caution'', '':important'', '':warning'' and '':footnote'' are also possible, they are used for what their names mean (the flow is continuating in the current page; they are compatible with any number of ''section''s being at the same level; they do not appear in the TOC and must be in a ''section'').
[[Tip: These last five types of tiddlers are described as immediate tiddlers.]]
[[Tip: No need to change the title of an immediate tiddler.]]
[[Warning: Never use footnote inside a wiki list!]]
'':section'' is the default choice. Keeping it implicit does lighten the tiddlers tags.
To produce a book, the wiki should be linearized. We does this within tiddlers with a last part called //sequential reading// introduced with a level 2 header of that name. It is followed by a list (normally an ordered list, but a non ordered list is also possible) of wiki links to the tiddlers to be included after the text of the current tiddler, in the order of introduction.
In order to produce either pdf or epub, we first translate to docbook 5.0 and check tags and sequential reading indications. We check the validity of the docbook too. All of this help debugging the rules after a period of intense activity.
Html entities are supported. Not all of tem, but many. Letters of all latin derived alphabets are ther, and greek letters too, and also non-breakable spaces and many symbols. Check ''entities.rb'' for an exhaustive list. You can add more there.
In order to produce the default ebook, just type @@make@@. For a more specific choice, you have to precise a target. The list of the target can be read with @@make -l@@. In particular to cleanup the project type @@make clean@@. To only produce and test the docbook, just type @@make sample_en.xml@@ (where //sample.xml// is the name of the docbook file).
Now that the system can support several language, the sequence 'sequential reading' can be change for a locale one. These are coded in file ''i18n.rb''. The Makefile allows to select which language to use (English as default choice on ''first'' Makefile invocation). Now it is invoked with something like @@make LANGUGAGE=fr EPUB@@ for instance. [[Footnote: make EPUB]]

For clarity's sake, the limits of the battlefield are the same as that of the table on which it is set. This means that //table edge// and //battlefield edge// are synonymous. The table edge of a player is that which is against the belly of the player at the beginning of the game. We also call ''long table edge'' the table edge of a player and ''short table edge'' a table edge perpendicular to a long table edge, even for a square table.
|suggested table dimensions|c
| in MU (all scales) | in cm for 15mm scale |comment|
| 35 x 50 | 105 x 150 |the largest allowed|
| 30 x 30 | 90 x 90 |same as DBA for 25mm scale|
| 25 x 40 | 75 x 120 |about 2/3 of a standard DBM table|
| 20 x 30 | 60 x 90 |the strict minimum allowed|

Apply one (or more if specified) [[combat advantage]] for each of the following item:
* if [[fighting from upper ground]] in its own [[bound]];
* if [[defending a river edge]];
* if [[shot at|shooting]] and at least one of the following is true:
** it is [[raining|rain]];
** the [[primary shooter]] is [[shooting against the wind]];
* if victim of [[dazzle]];
* if your enemy would be unable to complete a [[recoil]], even if that is not a result that could apply as a combat outcome, but not if that is only because your enemy would recoil even partially out of table;
* for each flank of your [[main opponent]] that is [[overlapped|overlap]];
* ''+2'' if your [[main opponent]] is [[flank attacked|flank attack]];
* ''+3'' if your [[main opponent]] is [[rear attacked|rear attack]];
* [[Bw]] in GGo or RGo in [[close combat]] against any or [[shooting]];
* for each [[shooting advantage]];
* for being shot at by [[Bw]] being in [[Wd]] or [[BUA]], or being oneself in [[Wd]] or [[BUA]] while being shot at;
* [[Wb]] in GGo or RGo in [[close combat]] against any but [[skirmishers]];
* [[Ps]] in [[close combat]] against [[skirmishers]] if [[supported|support]] by a second rank of Ps(O) and neither is in DGo;
* [[Bd]] against [[Ax]], [[Wb]], [[Sp]] or [[Pk]];
* [[mounted]] against [[Bd]];
* [[Sp]] in GGo in [[close combat]] against any but [[skirmishers]];
* [[Pk]](I/X) in GGo in [[close combat]] against any but [[skirmishers]];
* ''+2'' for [[Pk]](I/X) in [[close combat]] against any but [[skirmishers]] and [[supported|support]] by a second rank of Pk(I) in [[close combat]] against any but [[skirmishers]] and both ranks are in GGo;
* [[Pk]](F) in GGo or RGo in [[close combat]] against any but [[skirmishers]];
* [[Pk]](F) in [[close combat]] against any but [[skirmishers]] and [[supported|support]] by a second rank of Pk(F) and both ranks are in GGo.
If the [[army list]] explicitly allow [[Ps]](O) [[support]] as stated below, apply one [[combat advantage]] for:
* a front rank of [[Ax]] or [[Bd]] or [[Sp]], [[supported|support]] by a second rank of [[Ps]](O), in [[close combat]] against [[mounted]] or [[Wb]], if neither the Ps and the supported base are in DGo.

A ''tactical move'' is a [[voluntary move]] that ''may'' begin at 4[[MU]] or less from an enemy [[base]]. [[fig:move: tactical move]].
A [[base]] can only make a single tactical move per [[bound]].
A [[base]] cannot make a [[far move]] and a tactical move in the same [[bound]].

!! determining the target
[[Bw]] are the only [[troop type]] eligible to ''shooting'' at distance. Other troop types that historically shot did so at very short range and this is taken care of by their [[combat factor]] in [[close combat]].
[[Bw]] can shoot to any troop type which has two corners in a region before them, called the ''zone of shooting'', such as:
* it is exactly 4[[MU]] wide, its center being in the center of the front of the shooting [[base]];
* it is exactly 3[[MU]] deep.
For 15mm [[scale]], this is a rectangle large of 120mm and 90mm deep. [[fig:shooting: shooting zone]].
Also, one must be able to draw a quadrilateral joining the two front corners of the shooting [[base]] and two of the corners of the target base that are in the zone of shooting, and that shape must not cross or include any enemy or friendly base. It must not go through two bases less than a [[gap]] away. [[fig:shooting: eligible shooting target]].
An enemy base in [[close combat]] cannot shoot or be shot at. An enemy base acting only as an [[overlap]] in a [[close combat]] can be shot at.
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A target cannot be shot if it is not visible by the shooting [[base]]. If lying across several [[terrain]] features, a target is counted as if being wholly in the terrain giving the best protection against shooting.
The shooter must shoot at the enemy base which is the [[most directly facing]] it. In case of equality, the closest base must be the target. That is measured with the point of the target which is the closest to any point of the front of the shooter. In case of equality again, the shooter can choose its target. [[fig:shooting: determining shooting target]].
A [[Ps]] may be ignored as a target if an other target is eligible which is not a [[Ps]].
If a shooter is being shot at and one of the bases that shoot at it is a valid target, then the shooter must shoot at that base, even if it would not be the [[primary shooter]] for his shooting or if it would not be useful (in gameplay terms).
A shooter may give up his shoot against an enemy [[El]] that would recoil into a friendly base. If the combat dice has been rolled, it is too late for canceling the shooting.

The battlefield is mostly soft and plane, and is GGo. There is some linear or area features of terrain that lay upon it, put there according to the rules about [[creating the battlefield|create the battlefield]].
A terrain feature can be:
* [[water feature]];
* [[road]];
* other bits of landscape feature.
Terrain are classified as either GGo, RGo, DGo or impassable terrain. Most terrain is set as [[area feature]].
!! sequential reading
# [[create the battlefield]]
# [[area feature]]
# [[area features sizes]]
# [[water feature]]
# [[road]]
# GGo
# RGo
# DGo

The time of day rules are optional.
Both player throw a [[D6]]. This is the number of [[rounds|round]] they will be able to play before [[dusk]]. The battle shall begin when the sun is already high in the sky.
!! sequential reading
# [[dusk]]
# [[night]]
# [[dazzle]]

Games can be played with 15mm toys soldiers, or of an other [[scale]].
Troops are categorized by [[troop types|troop type]], [[grades|grade]] and being [[regular]] or irregular.
!! sequential reading
# [[regular]]
# [[grade]]
# [[troop type]]

Making a ''turnabout'' for a single [[base]] is simply permuting its front and rear edges. The base keeps its place in so doing. [[fig:move: single base turnabout]].
Making a ''turnabout'' for a [[group]] consists in making a single [[base]] turnabout for each of its bases. [[fig:move: group turnabout]].

|historic of versions|c
|version|date|comment|h
|0.6.2|2015/09/21|Upgraded explanation about DBMM army list translation. 250AP&nbsp;budget.|
|0.6.1|2015/09/08|A few fixes. Website now given!|
|0.6.0|2015/08/17|major effort in orthography and correct vocabulary for US English. A lot of bugfixes and some rules rewriting. French version now done thanks to an evolution of the editing system.|
|0.5.0|2014/09/26|mostly some reorganization and some bugfixes. The editing system has been extended to support mobi format and png graphics because svg is often problematic, but there are still problems with Kindle 4.|
|0.4.0|2014/07/09|insertion of graphics now mature and on the way to completion.|
|0.3.0|2013/08/24|Special tags to help build docbook added in the master wiki. Edit system described.|
|0.2.1|2013/08/13|further clearings of inconsistencies|
|0.2.0|2013/05/14|sequential reading sections added and major revision|
|0.1.3|2013/04/15|combat clarifications|
|0.1.2|2013/04/14|notion of tactical move. mounted infantry|
|0.1.1|2013/04/13|halving numbers when translating DBM(M) army lists|
|0.1|2013/04/10|first public release|

An army is victorious when its opponent is routed when it is not itself.

A ''voluntary move'' can be performed by a single [[base]] or by a [[group]] or by a [[pack]]. This requires the expenditure of [[PIGs|PIG]].
A [[group]] move is done with the [[move distance]] of its slowest [[base]], by consideration of the [[terrain]] which is really taken by each base.
A ''voluntary move'' can be:
* forming into a [[column]];
* extending from a [[column]];
* a [[turnabout]];
* [[moving straight forward]];
* [[pivoting]] (forward against a fixed front corner);
* a combination of the above as stated below only:
** [[pivoting]] then [[moving straight forward]];
** only for [[light troops]]: first, [[pivoting]] (eventually) then [[moving straight forward]] then [[pivoting]];
** only for [[skirmishers]]: first, making a [[turnabout]] then [[moving straight forward]];
* only for a single [[base]] move, anything is possible (as a move, except that the move can only be straight ahead if within a [[gap]]). The move length for a single [[base]] move is measured for each front corner only (the longest measure applies).
A voluntary move is also either a [[tactical move]] or a [[far move]].
!!sequential reading
# [[group]]
# [[turnabout]]
# [[moving straight forward]]
# [[pivoting]]
# [[tactical move]]
# [[far move]]
# [[pack]]

A ''water feature'' can be a river [[Rv]], a sea [[WW]] or a lake [[La]].
!! sequential reading
# [[river]]
# [[lake and waterway]]
# [[Rv]]
# [[La]]
# [[WW]]

The weather rules are optional.
The [[weather score]] is used to determine the weather on the battlefield. There is also a rule to cover the risk of [[dazzle]] that exists before [[dusk]] but it depends of the [[time of day]] rules.
!! sequential reading
# [[weather score]]
# [[rain]]
# [[wind]]

Both players throw a [[D6]], the sum of which is the ''weather score''. There is a risk of [[rain]] if it is 2 or 3, and there is a strong [[wind]] if is 11 or 12.

If there is ''wind'', each player throws a [[D6]] at the beginning of his [[bound]]. On a score of 6, the wind direction shift by 45° clockwise and on a score of 1, the wind direction shift by 45° anti-clockwise. [[fig:wind: wind shifting]]. Determine the original direction of the wind by throwing a [[D6]] immediately after the wind has been established. On a score of 4, 5 or 6, the wind is blowing from right to left for the invading player. Otherwise, the wind is blowing from left to right for the invading player. [[fig:wind: initial wind setup]].
[[Shooting against the wind|shooting against the wind]] is a [[combat advantage]] for the [[target]].

A ''withdrawal'' is an [[outcome move]] which is a [[recoil]] immediately followed by a move directly backward of a distance equal to that of its full [[move distance]], computed as that of a normal move.
After the initial [[recoil]], a [[base]] in withdrawal cannot [[push back]] friends but it can [[pass through]] them as for a normal move.